Teardrops of a Crimson Rose
by Asanouta
Summary: Youko Kurama rescues a young girl and takes her in. But when the people who destroyed her home decides to come after her, Kurama is drawn into a web of danger and hatred.
1. Chapter 1 The Unexpected Protege

**Teardrops of a Crimson Rose**

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. I don't own it or any of it's characters. If any of the OCs clash with anyone living or dead, I'm dreadfully sorry, but it's just coincidental. (Oh, and I own the OCs!)

P.S. This is my first fanfic so it could be kinda messy…Please forgive me for that…I welcome reviews, good or bad, because I want to learn from mistakes. Hope you'll enjoy it. Thanks!

* * *

Youko Kurama stood on a limb of a tree. He looked down on the chaos that was taking place in the village below him. Screams of terror filled the air, bodies were scattered everywhere, blood stained the ground red, fire raged fiercely, consuming those in it's path. He could smell the fear and anguish around him.

Crying. He could hear someone crying. He leaped from the tree and turned towards the sound. It was coming from a burning house.

He entered cautiously. After a quick look around, he found the source. A young girl was kneeling beside a body, crying helplessly. Tears flowed down her cheeks and she held the woman's hand in her grasp tightly.

"Mother! Mother! Please…Don't leave me, mother!"

Normally, he would have just walked away. The pain of death, the sorrow of losing someone important, the harsh reality of life, he'd seen it too many times to bother about it. This was the way it was, he couldn't do anything about it.

But this time, something was different. He felt that somehow, he had to help. It was as if the girl was calling out to him.

Kurama walked over to her and knelt down beside her. Gently, he touched her shoulder.

The girl started. She turned around in fright and stared at him with frightened eyes.

"It's alright. We have to leave this place or you'll get hurt." He spoke in the cool, calm, unnerving voice he was famous for.

**Chapter 1 – The Unexpected Protege**

Kurama opened his eyes. The familiar view of trees and the wind greeted him. He took a deep breath.

'_Another day. A new day.'_

He stood up and cast a quick glance around. The rest of his band was still asleep. '_The lazy fools, no wonder they never improved.'_

Only one person was missing. He smiled when he realized who it was. '_She always beat me to it. The only person who always woke up earlier than me.'_

He turned and started looking.

'_Now where could that girl be today?'_

As he strolled through the forest, he thought about that day. The day it all started.

'_How strange. I still get the feeling that I never found her by coincidence.'_

…………

The girl looked at him with frightened eyes. She shrank back at his touch.

"It's alright. I'm here to help. I'm not going to hurt you."

Somehow, he could feel that the girl didn't believe him. _'She's been through too much to trust anyone now.'_

The sudden sound of wood breaking startled him. The roof wasn't going to hold much longer. They had to get out of there now.

He scooped the girl up in his arms and with a swift leap, he sprang out of the collapsing house just before it came down on them.

Outside, the chaos was more terrible than before. No one paid any attention to the sprinting kitsune and his charge. Before anyone noticed, they disappeared into the forest.

…………

Kurama looked at the sleeping girl in his arms. She had fallen asleep due to exhaustion. Her eyes were swollen from the crying and tears were still clinging to her eyelashes. Her arms were covered in bruises and burns. There was also a cut on her cheek.

For once, Kurama felt pity for someone.

He laid her down by a tree and put a blanket on her small body. _'What now?'_ He wondered. The girl obviously had nowhere else to go. The village had been burnt to the ground and everyone was dead, it seems.

'What now?' He wondered aloud.

…………

Kurama stirred. His head felt groggy and he could barely open his eyes. He felt like he just ran a thousand miles without stopping. He tried to sit up, but his dizziness overwhelmed him; he collapsed and tried to remember.

Immediately all that happened last night rushed into his head. The raid, the fire, the girl…

The girl! He had brought her back from the village. Kurama snapped open his eyes. _'What happened after that?'_

He remembered. She woke up and started crying. He had comforted her, calming her down till she fell asleep again, into his arms…

Kurama sat up sharply and saw the girl kneeling beside him. She gazed at him for a moment before lowering her eyes.

"I want to thank you, sir." she said in a small voice.

"Why?"

"For saving me. I'm really grateful. I wish I could repay you, but I don't have anything left. I…I don't want to be a bother to you too, as I'm a complete stranger. So… I'll be leaving. Thank you." She bowed her head.

Kurama listened, stunned. There was no way this young child could survive on her own out there. The Makai was a very dangerous place and she was so young…

Kurama sighed. "Stay here."

The child looked up in surprise. "You want me to stay?"

"Yes."

"But, I…"

"It's not safe for you to go out alone. You won't last two seconds out there. And, I expect you'd want to get your revenge…"

The last sentence he said carefully. A child may be quite sensitive to such issues, but still, they can bear a strong grudge too.

The girl bowed her head again. "Thank you! I'm so grateful to you…"

"Alright then, tell me, what's your name?"

…………

A sudden sound startled him. But instinct told him it wasn't a threat so it could only mean…

He ran towards the sound. In a clearing ahead, someone was clearly moving around with great speed.

Kurama hid behind a tree and watched the girl's every move. She was practicing her techniques and training.

With a sudden movement, Kurama leaped out with his rose whip. Immediately, the girl dodged swiftly. She leaped from one tree to another with great agility. Kurama kept pace with her, dodging her attacks.

They kept this up for quite a while. Even though his level of skill was way higher than her, Kurama was actually enjoying it.

With a few more lashes from his whip and a sweep of his arm, he had pinned the girl to the ground.

"You've definitely improved from before, Ariya. Although you didn't need to fight back so viciously."

The young girl blushed red seeing her mentor so close to her.

"But, Sensei, you startled me…"

Kurama smiled. He pulled her to her feet and walked back to where the others were.

"Early morning exercise, I see."

"That's what you've always taught me to do."

Although she was shorter than Kurama (who else isn't?), Ariya was quite tall for a girl. Her jet-black hair fell over her shoulders, covering most of her back. She had black eyes and (according to Kurama) there was something in those eyes. One could tell that she had been through a lot.

"Kurama! There you are!" One of his followers came running up.

"What is it?"

"Yomi says it's time to storm Tsukishima Castle. The others are waiting for your orders."

Kurama sighed. Yomi again. That guy was always giving him trouble. "Alright, I'm coming."

…………

"But, Kurama…"Yomi protested. The demon was eager to storm the castle but Kurama was not going to let him.

"I've told you a hundred times, maybe more, that now is not the right time to act. After your blunder the other day, I can't afford another rescue attempt." Kurama winced slightly as he remembered the mess that Yomi had made. One of them nearly died and they stole nothing. Kurama had to move the gang to another place as soon as he could for the guards were hot on their tracks.

"You always want to wait and wait and wait. Why can't we act? We'll never get anything done if we continue to wait all day." Yomi raised his voice, showing his frustration.

"But at least it keeps us alive."

Everyone fell silent at the tone of Kurama's voice. There was something about it that told them he was dead serious about this matter.

"Fine then. But I'm not gonna sit here and wait much longer I tell you." Yomi turned and stormed away. Some of them followed him hesitantly while the others stayed. Kurama glared at their retreating backs.

Kuronue looked at his friend. Kurama was really mad this time. Kuronue mused. It took a lot to tick the kitsune off.

Kurama walked out of the clearing. Someday, Yomi's gonna get in serious trouble. He smirked. If he wasn't in so much trouble already…

He went to the river that wound its way through the trees. He loved listening to the voices of nature. It calmed his nerves. Its rushing waters spoke to him, telling him things, laughing, joking…

"Wow. You were really mad back there."

"Kuronue. You surprised me."

Kuronue sat down on the grass beside him. "So, what are you planning to do with him?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"You're not fooling me. You've already planned something, haven't you?"

"No…"

"Kurama…"

"No, seriously…"

"Fine, I won't bother you then. But tell me about Ariya's progress."

"Why don't you go ask her yourself? You know she treats you with respect too."

"Ya, but it sounds a lot better coming from you."

"What do you mean?"

Kuronue chuckled. "You always paint such a good image of her. If anyone didn't know, they'd think she was your girlfriend or something."

"Now you just teasing me. She is my student after all, I have to make her sound good, or it'll be bad for my reputation."

Kuronue smiled. He himself had grown rather attached to the girl. Ever since she came, Ariya had actually made most of them happy. Most of them.

After a long pause, Kurama said: "You know, they think I've gone soft or something."

"Yes I know. They've been complaining. I've heard them."

Kurama got up. "But personally, I don't care about them at all. Why should I be bothered about what they say? I know perfectly well that I could eliminate them anytime I want."

With that he cut a tree cleanly into two with his rose whip.

"Okay, now you're just showing off…"

"Kuronue…"

"Sensei!"

Both spun around. Ariya had a worried expression on her face and she looked as if she had been running.

"Sensei…"

"What is it?"

"It's Yomi-san, Sensei. He…"

Kurama's heart sank. Yomi…

That night was a disaster. Kurama had rescued Yomi and the rest of the band but lost three of them. Some of the survivors were severely injured. Kurama held back his anger at being disobeyed. He himself had sustained a nasty cut on his arm, thanks to Yomi.

"Never. Do. That. Again." he said, breathing heavily, his eyes glinting with that killer glare of his.

…………

"Yomi really did it this time."

Kuronue was bandaging his leg while Ariya helped Kurama with his arm.

"I have a feeling this won't be the last time he'll do such a thing. You saw his face when I warned him just now. That guy just never learns…Ow!" Kurama winced slightly. The pain was a little unbearable. It was a good thing Ariya could nurse people superbly. Girls seemed to be more talented in this kind of stuff.

"I'm sorry, Sensei. Did I hurt you?"

Kuronue laughed. "Ariya-chan, don't mind him. He's a lot tougher than you think."

"Hey, you watch what you're saying. I don't want you messing around with her head."

Ariya laughed. "Well, Kuronue-san, I guess you're right."

'_Her laughter. Such sweet laughter.' _thought Kurama. He closed his eyes as he was lost in his memories again.

…………

So the young girl's name was Ariya. According to her, she had been living with her mother, her father having died during a war years ago. The two of them relied on each other to survive and her mother loved her a lot.

That day, everything seemed to be normal. News of a ruthless gang of bandits who burnt villages to the ground during raids had reached their village. Defense preparations had been made for according to rumor, they spared no one…

Unfortunately, they were too good for the villagers. The bandits attacked ruthlessly, killing all in their path. Women and children were not spared. They even set fire to the houses, laughing as their victims screamed in terror.

Ariya had been at the back of the house when she heard the chaos. Her mother, hearing the commotion, had locked her in her room later, warning her not to come out. She remembered crouching in fright, listening to the cold voices outside her room.

Suddenly, she heard her mother scream and evil laughter sent chills down her spine. She could see figures moving through the keyhole. Vaguely, she could hear a loud crackling noise. Then she was hit with a sudden realization – her house was on fire.

What happened next happened so quickly but to Ariya, it seemed like an eternity. The swish of the blade, the blood splattering the wall, a scream she'd never forget, laughter, evil laughter from people who didn't care, who killed for pleasure, who took her dear mother's life.

Then, their pleasure satiated, the bandits left her house, but not without taking any valuables they could find. The fire having spread to her door, the bandits didn't notice an extra door behind which concealed Ariya.

She remembered trying to break the door down to get to her mother. Having been weakened by the fire, the door fell down easily though she sustained injuries on her arms. She ran through the flames to her mother, knowing in her heart that she was too late, but she just didn't want to believe it. How long she had been crying there, Kurama didn't know. All he knew was she was the only survivor. Ariya's mother was not the only one to suffer that fate.

Being a thief himself, Kurama killed to survive too, sometimes. But this was different. These people killed for fun. He killed to survive. Somehow he felt a strong hatred and anger against these people…No, they didn't deserve to be called people or demons, they were worse than that.

…………

"Firstly, you have to learn how to defend yourself. You have to learn how to survive."

Ariya was exhausted. Kurama had set her on breaking a boulder by channeling her energy through her hands. He wasn't going to let her rest, though.

"Focus. We're not going to get anywhere if you can't concentrate."

"Harder. You have to focus!"

"Focus!"

Ariya collapsed in exhaustion. Her hands ached, her head spun, her small body quivered and she felt faint.

"Sensei," she gasped. " I can't do it."

"No. You're wrong. You can, you're just not trying hard enough."

Kurama turned and walked away, leaving her behind. "You still have a long way to go." He sighed. " Let's continue tomorrow. You're not going to get anywhere today, I can see."

After walking a distance, he paused by a tree. "Kuronue. You've been watching, haven't you?"

Kuronue emerged from behind a large oak. "You don't have to work her that hard, you know…"

"I have to. It's for her own good. Living with us, it's a dangerous business. And those bandits…"

He paused before saying: "Those bandits, if they learned that they left a survivor, I'm sure they'd want to finish the job."

"Yes, but still, asking her to break that boulder using her spirit energy with barely a day of training, how do you expect her to do it?"

Kurama looked straight into Kuronue's eyes.

"She'll have to learn, then."

…………

Later in the day, Kurama reentered the clearing. He was stunned when he did.

The clearing had been utterly destroyed. What remained of the boulder was just a pile of dust. He could sense traces of spirit energy. Strong, but untamed energy.

Ariya stood in the middle of the clearing. She was sweating and her hands were bleeding. All the energy in her had been drained. As he took one more step nearer, she collapsed.

Kurama caught her before she hit the ground. He smiled.

"Poor thing. Sleep well tonight. You've earned it."

…………

Ariya worked hard. As the years passed, she grew stronger, and although she still could not match Kurama's level of strength, she was considerably stronger than some of the others. Kurama was always very proud of his student, although he never showed it.

Now, the young demon became quite attached to Kurama. She obeyed his every command (not that he was always telling her to do stuff) and had a great amount of respect for the kitsune. Kuronue enjoyed the little girl's company too, for she was quite mature for a kid her age. And although no one else noticed, Kuronue knew Kurama was quite attached to the girl himself too.

One of the things he liked about Ariya was that she never let him down. She always did her best not to disappoint him and usually never did. Another thing was she never whined or threw tantrums like most kids. She never slowed him down too. She was unusually agile and possessed a lot of stamina. Even if she was tired, she would force herself to stay awake and Kurama knew it was all for him. She respected him and he knew that in her heart, he was her savior, the one who rescued her. And she was like something he had been missing in his life but had never noticed its absence.

And that was also why Kurama cared a lot for her.

"I'll never let anyone hurt her, not anymore."

* * *

End of Chapter 1 – Please submit your reviews, pretty please. I'll be hiding under the table in case you pelt rotten eggs at me:P

Chapter 2 – The Flower in Bloom will be coming up. That is unless I'm ambushed by an angry reader…


	2. Chapter 2 The Flower in Bloom

_Ariya hit the door with all her might. She had to get out, it's still not too late…_

"_Mother! Mother, please…no…"_

_The fire licked at the door. She didn't seem to feel the heat at all. With a few more hits, it came down._

"_Mother!!!"_

_She rushed to her mother's side and grabbed her hand. It was still warm, so it could be that…_

"_Mother, please…Answer me…Don't leave me…" She pleaded._

'_I can't live on my own… I can't do it… I need you, mother…'_

_The fire raged, laughing at her, just like those monsters before. 'Why? What did she do to deserve this?'_

"_Please… Don't go…"_

_The footsteps came closer. 'Are they back?" she thought._

'_Don't hurt her anymore, please…'_

_They were right behind her now…_

'_Please…'_

_At the touch, she started and looked up in fright. A tall, handsome young man looked down at her._

'_Who are you?'_

**Chapter 2 – The Flower in Bloom**

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. I don't own it and it's characters, but the OC's are mine.

PHEW!!! Lucky I wasn't murdered last week…Ok, due to some requests, there's a little change in format. All flashbacks will be in italics, all thoughts will be like _'this'_ and speeches will be like this "…".

* * *

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Those were the last words uttered by a palace guard who had been pursuing them.

Kurama and his gang had just decided to storm Tsukishima Castle.

_'The timing was perfect…Everything went according to plan…'_

It was so simple, they just had to wait for the oppurtune moment…If only Yomi had listened, they wouldn't have had to suffer that loss.

Clearly, Yomi was pissed off too. Kurama smirked as he, glancing sideways, caught the look on Yomi's face.

Withdrawing his whip, he led them to disappear into the dark of night…

* * *

"Well, that went rather well!"

"Yeah! We really struck gold this time!"

"You were right about the timing, Kurama! You're wonderful, man!"

Kurama just smiled. From the corner of his eye, he could see Yomi looking as if he was about to throw up.

"Kuronue, where's Ariya?"

"Dunno…Didn't see her since we left for the raid."

"I'm going to look for her. In the meantime, don't you guys get too carried away. The guards may still be trying to find us."

* * *

"Sensei, you're back from Tsukishima Castle?"

Ariya had a smile on her face as she sat down beside Kurama. She was always so happy to be around him.

"Yup…What were you doing while I was gone, anyway?"

"Training…"

Ariya never went on any raids. Kurama didn't want her to, anyway. He figured that possibly she was still traumatized by her childhood plight and didn't want to bring it up again. When he thought about that, his fears suddenly surfaced. Those bandits should be still at large. What if…

"Sensei?"

Ariya's voice shook him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?"

"You seemed worried. Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine. You worry too much."

_'Man, she's as alert and observant as I am…'_

"Ah, there you are."

The bat demon appeared from behind them. "Oh, hello, Ariya!"

"Good evening, Kuronue-san."

"Have you had anything to eat yet, Kurama?"

Kurama's stomach growled loudly.

"Ok, I think I just got my answer."

"I'll go get you something to eat, Sensei. Would you like anything too, Kuronue-san?"

"Ok then. If its not such a bother to you…"

She had already left, her black hair flowing behind her.

'_Beautiful…'_ Kurama thought.

Then, he shook himself. _'Aww…stop thinking like that, Kurama!'_

He scolded himself for having such thoughts. But she was his student so it was natural that he should praise her…Right?

Kuronue sighed. "How many years has it been since you took her in?"

"I've lost count. I think it could have been 200 years …"

"She's grown so much since then. I can still remember when she was still a child. She used to have that frightened look in her eyes when she looked at me."

"That's probably because you were so intimidating with those bat wings of yours…"

"Hey! You and your ears too! Not to mention that tail…"

"At least I'm good-looking…"

"Meaning I'm not?"

"Woah! I didn't say you weren't! You're being paranoid…"

"Hey…"

The two friends laughed under the moonlight. They understood each other perfectly, or so they thought…

"Kurama, I think you need to know something."

"What is it?"

"Ariya…She has been crying in her sleep again…"

Kurama turned his head sharply to look at Kuronue. "What did you say?"

Ever since he took her back, Ariya used to cry in her sleep. Sometimes when she did, he could hear her call for her mother. When Kurama asked her about it, she told him that she had gotten over her mother's death and would no longer cry over it. So it wasn't true…

"That girl…She told me she'd stop crying…"

"She just didn't want you to worry…"

"All these years…She never told me…"

"Look, maybe she just needs a longer time to recover. Maybe she never will…Depends, she's a strong girl, Kurama, I'm sure she'll get over it."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Oh, and one more thing. Stop being so overprotective of her!"

Kurama grinned sheepishly. It was true that he was very, very, VERY overprotective of Ariya. Why, just the other day, he had cut off the arm of a demon who looked at her for more than his share of time. And when another had tried to court her, Kurama had attacked him viciously, till the guy's own mother couldn't even recognize him.

"Ya, but those demons…"

"Kurama, they can't help it. Ariya is rather attractive, you have to admit that."

_'Yeah, I know…' _

He would never admit it out loud, but personally, he thought that she was attractive too. Not just attractive, but beautiful. Her long, flowing black hair, her lovely black eyes, her tall and slender form, and her gentle voice…It was just perfect, he thought, as he pictured her in his mind.

Then, he slapped himself for it.

"What is it, Kurama? Bug?"

"Err…No…I mean…Yes…"

How could he? He shouldn't be thinking of her that way. _'She's my student…'_

* * *

The wind seemed to be toying with her hair, gently blowing it this way and that. Smiling, she brushed her hair to the back, tucking a few strands behind her ear.

He gazed at her. She turned red under his gaze. So did he. Both of them seemed to have noticed how close they were to each other.

He reached out to grab her hand, but she shifted it before he could reach it. When she turned to look at him, he looked away in embarrassment.

'Why is my heart thumping like this?'

* * *

Kurama shuddered as he remembered the dream he had a few days before. Why was it he was having such strange dreams? And his heartbeat…Occasionally it skipped a beat when he was around her…This was not good… 

His head started spinning. He felt himself slide down to the floor…

"Kurama? Are you alright?"

"Sensei! Kuronue-san! I'm back!"

Ariya stopped short in her tracks. The scene before her was all too bizarre.

Kuronue had a worried look on his face, and he pored into Kurama's anxiously. Kurama was lying on the floor, having slid down while thinking of the dream he had. Now, he sat up sharply and in doing so, hit Kuronue hard in the face.

"OWW!" Both yelled in unison.

Ariya couldn't take it any longer. She laughed.

* * *

"Ouch, my head…"

"Speak for yourself…Why did you have to sit up that suddenly?"

Kuronue wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand. Kurama leaned back against the tree. His head was spinning from the collision just now.

"Well, one thing's for sure, you have a thick skull…"

"HEY!"

"OK, OK, chill…"

Ariya giggled at the sight of the two of them.

"Kuronue-san's getting on Sensei's nerves as usual…Well, I'll leave both of you to chat here. Goodnight, Sensei. Goodnight, Kuronue-san!"

Kuronue watched her disappear into the woods. "You know what? She's beautiful…" Then he glanced at Kurama nervously. "And don't kill me for saying that."

Kurama wasn't really listening. _'You're right, Kuronue. She is beautiful…'_

_

* * *

_

_The demon cackled evilly. The woman sobbed and pleaded helplessly, but he didn't heed a word._

_His comrades laughed too. Their laughter sent chills down Ariya's back. 'Mother, get out of there, now!'_

_Her mother seemed to be trying to distract their attention from the door. Even though she knew she was going to die, she still tried to protect her daughter._

_The bandit raised his knife and brought it down on her mother. Ariya could only watch in horror as the gruesome scene unfolded in front of her eyes. She'd never forget that scream, the scream of pain, the last thing her mother uttered. Inside, she felt like screaming too, but it never came out._

_He hacked repeatedly at her mother. 'Stop it…stop it…please stop hurting her…' Her mother hit the ground; blood splattered the wall…_

_She saw the blade gleaming in the fire. Crimson blood stained it and dripped from its edge. Then, to her horror, the demon turned towards her direction._

'_He's coming…He's coming for me…' She backed away…_

_The bandits closed in on the door._

'_Please…No…'_

_They stopped at her door…_

'_No…Please…'_

_The door burst open. The menacing figures stood there in the doorway leering at her._

'_Someone…please help me…'_

_The leader raised his knife…_

"_NOOOO!!!"_

* * *

Ariya woke up trembling. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. Was that a nightmare? But it seemed so real…

Someone put his arm around her. She looked up in fright. Kurama smiled gently at her.

"It's alright. Everything's going to be alright…"

Ariya couldn't bear it any longer. She burst into tears, sobbing into his lap, letting it all go, all the emotions kept inside her for so long.

Kurama stroked her hair. He could almost feel the pain in her heart, cutting through his own like a knife.

"It's alright. Go to sleep now…"

* * *

She fell asleep in his arms, just like she did so many years back, when he had first found her. She always felt so safe with him, so secure, and all her fears would just vanish for a while.

A sudden sound startled her. She opened her eyes cautiously. Someone, or something unwelcome was here…

She could feel Kurama stir. He too, had heard the sound then.

Her hand reached for the dagger at her side. But Kurama stopped her. He shook his head, and then, motioning for her to be quiet, he stood up silently.

Immediately, he had to duck down again. A knife was embedded in the tree above him, where he had been a few moments earlier. Quick as a flash, he drew out his Rose Whip and lashed at a bush up ahead.

A shadow leaped away from the bushes and darted at Ariya. She dodged and managed to cut it with a quick flick of her dagger. The shadow gave a cry and fled.

"Sensei, what was that?"

"I don't know. Alert the others. Someone's attacking us."

Ariya nodded and went away. Making sure she was gone, he walked over to the knife and pulled it out.

"Just as I suspected…"

* * *

"What?!!"

"Yes, someone just attacked Sensei and he told me to warn you!"

A cry of outrage issued from them.

"Who do they think they are? How dare they attack us and challenge us outright like that!"

"We'll make them pay, won't we?"

"Yeah!"

Kuronue looked at Ariya. "Is there something you want to say?"

She hesitated a moment before saying: "I don't think that person was after all of us."

The silence that followed lasted few minutes before someone said: "What?"

"I think he was after Sensei himself…"

Someone gasped and was rewarded with cold and disdainful looks from most of the gang. Kuronue, however, strode away from the clearing.

"Come on, Ariya. Where were you guys when you were attacked?"

* * *

Itsutoki looked up when Kurama walked into the clearing. "Well, well, well! The great Youko Kurama…What a pleasant surprise!"

"Save the act…What do you want?"

"I'm afraid I don't quite get what you mean, Kurama."

"You sent me this, didn't you?"

Kurama threw the knife to the ground, where it stuck upright, quivering. Now under moonlight, words were visible under the hilt.

"Very clever of you to figure out it was me."

"Don't be a fool. You're the only one who darts like a shadow that way and besides, your smell was unbearable…"

Itsutoki laughed. "You're just so arrogant, Kurama. You know, just because you smell of flowers doesn't mean everyone else reeks…"

"Just shut up and get to the point."

Itsutoki sighed. "Tut, tut. Getting impatient now, are we? Well, I'm here for only one reason, and I'm sure you're clear with that."

Kurama looked at him coldly. "Fine then. If you insist…But aren't you forgetting what happened last time?"

"Precisely. That's why I'm here again."

* * *

Sigh…I finally finished Chapter 2. But it's kinda a little too long, longer than I expected, and because of that, I have to move all my details back a bit. So it could take a while before I finish rearranging my chapters so please wait for me to put up Chapter 3.

Meanwhile, thanks for reading and if you can, kindly submit a review please? And thank you…


	3. Chapter 3 Challenge From The Past

"Well, well, you've been keeping up with your training, haven't you, Kurama?"

"I'm not as lazy as you are, you know."

Itsutoki sneered. Already he was out of breath. But he trained so hard for this day, he couldn't give up now…

Kurama was a little worn out too. Vines wrapped around his right arm, forming a deadly sword. He had managed to slash Itsutoki a couple of times but it seems like the demon had grown stronger since the last time they fought.

'_He most certainly has improved… But why doesn't he stop bugging me?'_

His thoughts were cut short by Itsutoki leaping at him with his sword brandished. Kurama brought his sword up to shield the attack, but the force knocked him backwards. Itsutoki recovered quickly and attempted another hit at Kurama.

'_I've no time for this… Why can't this guy understand that he'll never beat me?'_

**Chapter 3 – Challenge From The Past**

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi. I don't own it and it's characters, but the OC's are mine.

Kurama strolled through the peaceful forest. The only company he had were the wind and the trees, rustling in his ear.

_He stopped short. Someone was blocking his path in front of him. He looked up at the guy, nodded as an acknowledgement and continued on his way._

_When he reached the other demon's side, the guy muttered something into his ear._

"_Going somewhere, Kurama?"_

_Kurama halted his steps and turned around. The demon was grinning._

"_Do I know you?"_

"_Oh no, you may not…But I know who you are. You the infamous Youko Kurama, the most feared bandit in Makai. And you're just the person I've been looking for…"_

_Kurama narrowed his eyes. "And what, precisely, are you here for?"_

_The guy just smiled. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Itsutoki. You know, I'm only telling you my name because I've always felt that you should at least know the name of your killer…"_

"_So you want to kill me?"_

"_No. I just want to challenge you. And then yes, maybe I'll kill you if I win."_

_Kurama gave him a look that would normally send people scurrying away._

"_What am I? Something that lowlifes like you can just come and kill?"_

"_No, no… You've got it all wrong. I'm not killing you for fun. I just want a challenge because I've fought so many demons in my life, but none of them ever actually posed a threat. Just think about it, if I could defeat you, my reputation will surely rise, and undoubtedly many people will hail me as their hero. You're rather 'popular' among many demons, you know…"_

_There was silence for a moment. Then Kurama laughed. His laughter would have sent chills down anyone's spine. It was cruel and mocking laughter, portraying the arrogance of the proud Youko Kurama._

"_Fine then. If you want to die early, come and get me."_

Itsutoki sighed as he remembered that day. He had challenged Kurama, only to lose terribly and nearly dying. Kurama however, had spared his life, saying that he didn't feel like killing that day. Itsutoki had been smart enough, unlike other demons, not to say something stupid like "Kill me now, I'd rather die." or something like that. Instead, he vowed that he would become stronger, to defeat Kurama. To him, Kurama was his greatest challenge ever, and he had enjoyed the fight thoroughly.

"You remember the day I challenged you, right?"

"Of course. You were such an idiot to do so. Why can't people like you just leave me alone? I'd like to have some peace and quiet for once."

"Kurama… You weren't like this last time. In the past, you were ruthless… You welcomed challenges like this."

"Well, let's just say that I don't feel like killing that much these few days…"

Ariya and Kuronue ran as fast as they could. But when they reached the spot where Itsutoki had first attacked them, it was empty.

"Sensei!"

"Kurama, darn it! Where the heck are you?"

Ariya examined the mark made by the dagger on the tree.

"Someone took the dagger. You think he came back for Sensei?"

Kuronue took a quick glance around.

"How did this 'thing' look like?"

"Something agile, with spiky hair too. It attacked Sensei first by throwing a dagger, and then leaped out of the bushes with a sword. It was very fast, I nearly couldn't keep up with it."

"And Kurama frightened it away?"

"No, I slashed it with my dagger, and it fled."

"And Kurama told you to leave?"

"Yes. Now that I come to think of it, I think he wanted me to leave because he wanted to deal with the intruder, alone."

"Ya, but why? It's not like Kurama to… Oh dear…"

"What is it?"

"That thing had spiky hair right? Did you catch his eyes?"

"Yes, they were very evil-looking and green in colour."

"Oh crap. Not him again…"

"Who, Kuronue-san?"

"This guy who's obsessed with defeating Kurama. It happened a long time before you came along. Come on, we have to find him fast."

"Nice girl you've got there."

Kurama stumbled. "What did you say?"

"That pretty girl with you. Your student…"

Kurama kept silent. _'Now what?'_

Itsutoki continued: "I did some background research before taking you on this time. You rescued a girl a couple hundred years back, didn't you? That was nice of you…"

Kurama sneered as he tried to hide his anger. He hated it when people started saying he was soft and all that.

"You did your homework this time, I see…"

Itsutoki chuckled. "I've been watching you for awhile before I attacked you. You really care about this girl, don't you? So unlike the ruthless Youko Kurama I knew."

"Can we end this? I don't want to hear your nonsense and besides, all this talking is not going to help you."

The demon heeded none of his warnings. Clever people would have just shut up at the dangerous tone of Kurama's voice. But Itsutoki didn't. He had found a weakness in the fox and he wasn't going to stop until he had provoked the fox.

"Alright then. But you do realize the risks you're facing if you keep her, don't you? I'm surprised they haven't attacked you yet. You shouldn't let her stay. Or have you become too soft to abandon her?"

"I'm warning you…"

Itsutoki could make out that Kurama was starting to become slightly irritated. The fox tended to make mistakes when he was angry. He was right about that. But what Itsutoki didn't know was that he was saying something he really shouldn't have started in the first place. Obviously he didn't know rule number 1: Never provoke the fox with something he cared for deeply…

"Pretty, smart and good reflexes too. Why, she actually managed to hurt me even before I faced you. You become a different person around her. Letting her cry on your lap… The great Youko Kurama comforting a young girl… Hehe…"

He went too far. In an instant, Kurama's expression changed into one of fury.

"SHUT UP!!!"

WHAM!

Itsutoki struggled hard to free himself from Kurama's grasp but the more he struggled, the tighter the kitsune's grip on his throat. He was in a helpless position now, Kurama holding by the neck and pinning him to a tree. Itsutoki was amazed by his strength for Kurama did all this with one hand.

"Alright…gasp…alright!"

Itsutoki choked as he tried to get his words out.

"I'm just trying to warn you, alright?!"

Kurama let go of him. He dropped to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Gasp…Ouch…I have to admit, you're strong…What the…"

Kurama pointed a sharp vine at his throat.

"Hey! Alright, alright, I give up! I'll leave and never bother you again, happy? Sheesh, talk about bad temper…"

"Tell me more."

"Huh?"

"Tell me more about them."

"Hey, I was just kidding."

The sharp point touched his throat. One slight movement, and Itsutoki would be on his way to the other side…

"ALRIGHT!!! I'll tell! But don't tell them I told you!"

"Ok then, I'm listening."

"Your student, you rescued her during a raid that destroyed her village, right? Well, the bandits are ruthless, I believe you know that."

"Go on…"

"Hey, hey, hey! Keep that knife still! I haven't finished! Those bandits don't usually leave survivors. It's like, their tradition to kill everyone and spare no one. So if they ever find out that one is still alive, you're in trouble. They might try to eliminate you too."

He spoke fast and hastily. His life hung on his words and he wanted to make sure he was saying the right thing.

Kurama spoke in an icy tone: "But, they won't know, right?"

"I won't tell, if that's what you mean."

He muttered in an undertone. "But that won't stop them from tracking her down."

"What's that you said?"

Itsutoki scolded himself. "Curse my big mouth…"

Kurama knelt down so they could see eye to eye. "Now, spill it."

"FINE! You really want to know, I'll tell you. But it's not going to help. They know."

Those two words hit Kurama like a cold blast of wind in his face. He felt a chill run down his spine. _'No way… How did they know? I can't let Ariya get hurt.'_

"So, can I go now?"

Kurama was brought back to his senses.

"Fine. Leave and don't you dare tell anyone about this. You didn't fight me or even meet me, ok?"

Itsutoki backed away. "Yes, sir…I mean Kurama… My lips are sealed."

"Get out of here, now."

Itsutoki nodded and ran away.

For once, Kurama felt fear. But it wasn't for his own life. It was for another's, for someone he cared for.

Itsutoki ran as fast as his legs could carry him, wanting to get out of there as fast as he could. But something knocked him off his feet.

"Ouch! Oh no, more company…"

Ariya cracked her whip against the ground. Being trained by Kurama, it was natural for him to teach her how to use a weapon like his. Kuronue stood beside her, his blade out too.

"So it's really you again."

"I don't have time to chat, Kuronue! Now get out of my way!"

"What did you do to Sensei?"

"I didn't do anything! Now let me go!"

With that, he whipped out his sword and charged at them. They leaped out of the way to safety and Itsutoki seized the chance to run away.

"Come back here, you…"

Kuronue ran after him. Ariya followed suit.

"What a day. I was just spared by Youko Kurama and now his henchmen are after me…"

Itsutoki grumbled as he sped past the trees. He leaped backwards to dodge an oncoming attack by Ariya's whip.

"Hey! I didn't do anything! Let me go!"

Kuronue slashed with his blade. Itsutoki was frantic. The both of them were skilled fighters, he couldn't take them on.

He leaped on a tree to escape. Ariya followed after him while Kuronue spread his wings and flew up.

Looking back and seeing the two of them still hot on his trail, he conjured up a ball of energy and hurled it at Ariya. She dodged but it hit the tree she was on, knocking her off.

"ARIYA!"

Kuronue caught her neatly in his arms and then glanced towards the ground. He wasn't the only one who shouted her name.

Kurama looked up anxiously. "Is she alright?"

"Sensei, I'm fine. But that guy…"

"It's alright. Let him go. He's already far gone by now. And besides, I said I'd spare him, so I can't go back on my words." Kurama sent a look of deepest loathing at Itsutoki's disappearing form.

Kuronue landed and put her on the ground. "Thank you for saving me, Kuronue-san."

"You're welcome."

Kuronue walked over to Kurama and hit him.

"OUCH! What did you do that for?"

"KURAMA, YOU JERK! WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!!!"

"Itsutoki was never a challenge to me…"

"Ya, but what if it wasn't Itsutoki? You just step into a fight without thinking, do you?"

"You're talking to an expert strategist here. Who says I never think before I act? I'll have you know, I always have a plan, a plan to back up that plan, and another plan to back up the back up plan…"

"You know how worried you got us?"

"Kuronue-san, chill…"

"And Ariya here was so worried, too!"

"Kuronue-san, it's ok. Sensei is safe now, you don't have to yell at him."

"No, he's right. I should have let all of you know what I was up too. I'm sorry."

There was silence for a minute. Then Kuronue said: "Sorry for hitting you that hard."

"Ya, and for that, you have to let me hit you."

"Oh no, you don't!"

Ariya laughed as Kuronue tried to outrun the fox. Kurama finally managed to slap Kuronue on the head.

"Ouch. Not only do you have a hard head, you have a hard fist too."

"Kuronue-san, you better stop saying that or Sensei might hit you again. You know how bad-tempered he is, even though he always shows a cool and calm face…"

"Now you're the one who needs to watch out…"

Their laughter rang out in the night sky. But Kuronue could sense that Kurama was worried about something.

'_There's something he's not telling us. What exactly happened between him and Itsutoki?'_

The next day, and most of the previous night too, Kurama spent pondering about what Itsutoki had told him.

"They know."

'_How did they know? And do they know where she is now? Do they even know who she is?'_

"Sensei? Are you feeling better?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm feeling much better. Thanks."

Ariya looked at him with a weird expression on her face. "Sensei, I'm worried…"

Kurama stared at her. "Worried? About what?"

"You. You're not telling me something."

"No, I'm not. Why would I hide anything from you?"

"Because you wouldn't want me to worry?"

"No, I'm really not hiding anything. Trust me. Look, concentrate on your training. I want you to level up your Spirit Energy by the end of this day, got it?"

Ariya nodded. Reluctantly, she forced herself to concentrate on other things than Kurama.

Kurama watched her progress closely. If what Itsutoki said was true, he wanted to make sure that she could be able to survive their attack. And besides, more training would probably wear her out. That way, she won't think about this problem for she would be too tired to. He didn't want her to worry.

"Tired, Ariya?"

Kuronue could see that the young girl was very worn out. So it was natural that he didn't believe her when she said:

"No, thanks for asking."

"If you're tired, you should rest."

"I'm fine. I'm just a little worn out. I'll be ok, I'm sure."

Kuronue frowned. "Hey, don't look like that! You and Sensei should smile more. It's good for you, you know."

"And besides, I like it when you guys smile."

Kuronue felt his face flushing. He smiled.

"Fine, if you want me to smile, I will. Anything to make you happy."

'The smile on her face is priceless. If only I could look at her smile everyday…' 

Ok, if this chapter is a little blur, I apologize, because I feel there's something I forgot to add… Cross your fingers and hope I get my memory back…

Please read and review, I appreciate your help. Arigato gozaimasu!


	4. Chapter 4 Tangled Emotions

"_Not like that. You'll never get me if you attack from that direction. I only have to do this…"_

_Kurama dodged to his right and knocked Ariya to the ground in a split second._

"_And I could have taken your life easily."_

_Ariya stared at the ground blankly. She had been training so hard, but still, she could never meet Kurama's standards. How was she ever going to get revenge?_

"_Get up. You won't accomplish anything by just lying on the ground."_

_Ariya forced herself to stand up. Why did that stupid fox have to hit her so hard? It was just training…_

"_And if you're wondering why I hit you so hard, it's because I wanted you to know, that if that was a real battle, you would have been dead."_

_Ariya scowled. Sometimes, she wondered whether Kurama had the ability to read minds or not._

_Kurama smiled at her. "Don't look at me that way. It's better if you smile more often. Since the day I first found you, I don't recall ever seeing you smile. I think… You'd look a lot nicer if you do."_

_Ariya didn't answer. How could anyone be so calm and cool about issues like this? Now, she started to doubt that the fox had feelings…_

_And not to mention, he never seemed to notice how tired she was…_

"_We'll leave it here today."_

"_Huh?"_

"_I can see you're tired. So, what say you and I go do something fun, shall we?"_

"_HUH?"_

**Chapter 4 – Tangled Emotions**

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi, and no matter how much I wish, NO, Kurama doesn't belong to me either. Please don't sue or flame me, I'm broke…

Ok, this chapter will be mostly flashbacks, to make things clearer, I hope…

By the way, I really want to thank whoever it was who reviewed my fanfic the other day, I can't tell you how pleased I am. I know it's only one review, and it's the only one I got (not to mention the first one I got, too), but it means a lot to me. Thanks.

And again, this is how the format goes:

"Kuronue!" – This is when they are talking out loud

'_What the…' _– This is when they are thinking

_Flashback _– Flashbacks and…

'_**No way…'**_ – This is the irritating little voice in Ariya or Kurama or anyone else's head. The irritating one…

* * *

"_Come on. I heard there's going to be a festival at the nearby village. It will be fun."_

"_Fun?"_

"_You'll see when we get there. But stay close to me, ok? I don't want you to get lost."_

_They drew near the village. The laughter of little children rang out in the night sky and bright torches lit up the entire village._

_A sudden image of burning houses, with maniacal laughter and lots of blood surfaced in Ariya's mind. She hid behind Kurama._

"_What's the matter?"_

"_Is the village on fire?"_

"_Nonsense, those are only torches." Then he realized she was really scared. "It's alright. I won't let this village burn down. Trust me."_

_Ariya nodded her head. But she still stayed behind him as they were walking through the decorated houses, clutching his clothes tightly._

_The villagers had smiles on their faces as they welcomed the two strangers into their midst. They were located quite far from any communication so they haven't heard of Youko Kurama before. Even if they did, they didn't even know how he looked like._

'_It's better that way. At least she could experience a normal life every now and then.'_

_The festival was held to celebrate the full moon. A few village girls started dancing around the fire, and soon some others joined them._

_Normally, when he visited such places during these times, he would be eyeing the valuables he could pocket when the villagers were immersed in all their celebrating. But somehow, this time, he just wanted to sit back, relax and… have fun._

_One of the villagers started pulling in the audience to dance with them. Quite a number of girls came to drag Kurama in but he turned them down. He wasn't the party type._

_Ariya however, started playing with some of the children. Kurama noticed that she wasn't exactly playing, she was just standing and watching them play._

'_What's wrong? What's the matter with her?'_

"_That's a nice child you've got there."_

_A villager sat down beside him. "You really caught the girls' eyes, I have to say. You're the most good-looking stranger who's come to visit our village ever."_

_Kurama blushed slightly at the comment. Even though he knew perfectly well that he was… How would you put it… hot… He still enjoyed it when people said he was good-looking. Foxes are kinda vain after all._

"_I see your girl has got her daddy's looks. I can tell, she will grow up to be a fine young lady."_

"_Ermm… She's not my daughter…"_

_A strange silence followed. The villager coughed once._

"_Oh, sorry about that. So she's your sister? Or you adopted her?"_

"_Neither. I just take care of her, that's all. She's more of an apprentice."_

"_Well, she's going to be a fine girl."_

_Kurama glanced at Ariya again. She was still watching the kids playing. One of them tried to get her to play but she just shook her head and stood there. And unless Kurama was mistaken, her eyes were glistening with tears._

_Kurama got up and walked over to her. He pulled her to a corner and looked into her eyes._

"_Can you do me a favor and be happy for once? I know how you feel, you remembered your mother, right? Look, she wouldn't be happy seeing you sad…"_

_Ariya nodded blankly. She walked over to the other kids and joined in their game. Kurama felt a lot better seeing her play. He never felt that way before, how it was like to care for someone else._

"_Why is it that every time you go somewhere to party, you never tell me to come along?"_

_The bat demon swooped down from the sky and landed beside Kurama._

"_Oh, Kuronue. You're just in time to finish the leftovers."_

"_HEY! I'm being serious here! The only reason I'm late was because someone 'forgot' to tell me…"_

"_Hey, look! There are still some snacks over there. I'll just go grab some, you wait here."_

"_KURAMA!!!"_

_Chuckling to himself, Kurama slipped away into the crowd as a gang of drooling girls surrounded Kuronue. Oh, how he loved to see that bat angry…_

* * *

"_Darn that fox. I can't believe we're best friends. He's always running off to who-knows-where and leaving me behind."_

_Kuronue stopped short. His eyes fell on the young girl standing in front of him._

"_Ariya? What are you doing here?"_

_Ariya shrank back. She wasn't really used to this intimidating bat demon yet._

"_Hey, I'm not going to eat you. I'm just looking for Kurama, have you seen him?"_

_Ariya shook her head._

"_Darn that stupid fox. Probably frolicking around somewhere with some village girls."_

"_Frolicking with village girls, did you say? Who was the one with the girls practically drooling over him?"_

"_You, as far as I'm concerned. Where did you go, you moron?"_

"_Would you believe me if I told you I went for a swim in the river?"_

"_Well, naturally, no. Who'd go swimming in this time of night?"_

"_Alright then. Then that's just what I did."_

"_STOP THAT!!!"_

_Ariya couldn't help but giggle. Maybe this bat wasn't that bad after all…_

* * *

Ariya smiled as she remembered that day. It was actually kinda fun, and she got to understand the fox a little better, not to mention the bat sitting by her side now.

Kuronue toyed with his pendant. It gleamed in the moonlight, casting flickering glimmers on his face.

"Hey, Kuronue-san, do you remember the time when Sensei got himself badly hurt in a raid, and you yelled at him for going alone?"

"Yeah, I remember. I was mad at him for a week."

"You know what? You and Sensei have a lot in common. You both seem not to care, but actually you worry about each other a lot."

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into a whirlpool of memories.

_

* * *

_

'_Perfect.'_

_She drew closer to him, taking great care not to wake him up._

"_Don't even think about it."_

_The fox snapped open his eyes. His hazel eyes fell on what looked like a young girl of 15._

"_Aww… I wanted to wake you up. Why can't I ever sneak up on you?"_

_Kurama smiled. "You shouldn't sneak up on your mentor like that."_

"_Yeah, but I wanted to scare you for once. You were really mean to Kuronue-san last night you know."_

"_Me? Mean? Ooh, now doesn't that sound just like… me."_

"_Sensei…"_

"_What?"_

"_I think you'd better apologize to him."_

"_No way. No way the great King of Thieves will say that he's sorry to anyone."_

"_But…"_

_Ariya put on a cute look, one that even Kurama could not resist._

"_Fine then. I'll go apologize to him."_

_Ariya smiled happily. "Promise?"_

"_Promise."_

_He stood up to leave._

"_Oh, and by the way, you should forgive him for cutting down half of your plants."_

_Silence followed. Kurama swallowed once or twice to cover his rage. 'That bat… I'm gonna pull off his wings… I spent months on those on those plants…'_

"_Where's the guy? I'm gonna get him for this."_

"_But you promised."_

"_I… What?!"_

_He cursed himself inside. 'Oh… I fell for it again.'_

"_You're no better than he is, Ariya. How could you?"_

"_He only did that because he was mad at you. If you had only apologized earlier, this wouldn't have happened."_

_Kurama took a deep breath. 'Guess she's right. Sometimes, I'm just too stubborn.'_

"_Ok then. I'll go apologize to him. You coming?"_

_Ariya jumped up. "Sure. I'll be hiding behind a tree in case things get out of hand."_

"_I won't hurt him… much…"_

"_Sensei!"_

"_Alright, alright!"_

_They walked through the forest together in silence. Every now and then, a soft rustling of the leaves broke the silence._

_Ariya glanced at the silver fox beside her. She just realized how tall he was. She had never seen him this way before, so tall, handsome, and strong…_

"_What's the matter?"_

"_Oh, nothing. Your hair is getting a little long, that's all."_

"_I'm not cutting it, if that's what you're suggesting."_

"_No, I'm not. I like it this way."_

"_Yeah, now where is that bat demon? When I get my hands on him…"_

"_SENSEI!"_

"_Alright, alright…"_

* * *

Ariya blushed slightly as she thought about her feelings towards the fox. In her eyes, he was the one who saved her, gave her a new leash on life, taught her everything she knew. She treated him with respect, and cared for him deeply.

But what about the other feeling?

Sometimes, she would feel embarrassed when they were standing close to each other. She would be happy when he was, and upset when he felt down.

'Why am I getting this strange feeling? Am I…" 

She remembered what Kurama had told her, that emotions could be quite confusing, that she would have to learn how to control them.

'Why is it that I can't tell him about this strange feeling? It's not like me to feel that way.' 

She didn't want him to think she was weak either. Her worst fear, apart from the people who killed her mother, was Kurama leaving her.

"Kuronue-san? Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Have you ever felt this strange feeling for someone, that you just care for this person a lot, and you can't bear to see that person get hurt? And when that someone is happy, you feel happy too. Same when the person feels sad…"

"Well, I guess maybe… It's a crush? Or it could be love… But I'm not sure, I never given this much thought…"

"But I don't think love is like this…"

'How can this be love? Sensei will always be Sensei, I love him as a teacher, a mentor, a father…" 

The more she thought about it, the more confused she got. A voice was nagging in her head, making her even more confused.

'_**A father? Is that so? Or is this really a crush?'**_

'Stop it…' 'He's handsome, isn't he? And so strong and…' 'I said, be quiet…' 'No matter how hard you run, face it. You like him…' 'No, I don't. I mean, not in that way… and why am I arguing with a voice in my head?' 

'_**Because you like him. And that's the truth.'**_

Ariya tried to drown the voice out. _'Go to sleep. That's all you need… Sleep…'_

But somehow, she seemed rather wide awake. The voice in her head disappeared though, so she stopped trying to force herself to sleep and instead, concentrated on the little ant crawling through the grass.

"Ariya? You want to take a walk? I mean, just sitting here doing nothing is rather boring, you know."

"You boys always want to have fun, don't you?"

"No, I mean…"

Ariya stood up, brushing the grass off her clothes. "Let's go."

She strode out of the clearing. Kuronue followed suit.

After a while, they still weren't able to find a topic to talk about. They just kept walking on in silence. Once or twice, Kuronue tried to say something, but he changed his mind halfway. Ariya just kept staring into space. How she wished that feelings wouldn't be such a complicated thing.

* * *

Author: Now if you're wondering where our fox went to, he hasn't died yet, that's for sure…

* * *

Kurama trudged through the woods. Kuronue and Ariya were nowhere to be found, according to Yomi. After trudging through the forest for nearly an hour alone, he began to long for company, especially that of a certain raven-haired beauty.

Kurama shook his head again. _'Stop this! I wonder who's playing with my emotions?'_

As he couldn't make a head or tail of this strange feeling, he seemed to get it into his head that someone was playing with his mind. He tried closing his mind every night before he fell asleep but it wasn't working.

'Now where could they be? I do hope they haven't got themselves into any kind of trouble…'

* * *

Ok, I finally finished chapter 4, after getting writer's block so many times. Please forgive me for the stupid story line, I don't like where this is heading either. But, I promise that I'll try to spice things up, ok? In the meantime, see that button that says "Submit review" down there? Please, please, please… Press it!!! And thanks if you do so… 


	5. Chapter 5 Betrayal

Kurama stopped dead. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

'_It can't be. My eyes must be playing tricks on me.'_

He refused to believe it. The whole scene was so unbelievable, it couldn't be…

'_**Are you jealous?'**_

A nagging voice seemed to be teasing him. He really had to get a grip on his emotions. No, he would just stay calm, pretend nothing happened…

'_**Are you just gonna walk away and pretend nothing happened?'**_

"Shut up…" He muttered between gritted teeth.

He was such a fool. How could he have not seen it coming? They were best friends, why didn't he sense the bat's true intentions?

He turned and walked away.

'I can't believe you betrayed my friendship… Kuronue…'

**Chapter 5 – Betrayal**

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and so are the characters in it, well, except for my OCs, they belong to me. Now, I'm starting to get tired of typing the disclaimers…

Ok, like I said, I'll spice things up. Thanks much to HikariMMD for the idea for this chapter! I told you I was gonna put your name in here, somehow, so don't get mad! I just wanna credit you, that's all…

So, anyway, this chapter is dedicated to its inspirer, HikariMMD! This one's for you!

P.S. Don't blame me if it sucks… :P, but sorry if it does…

And again, the irritating little voice is in bold and italics, and flashbacks are in italics as well.

* * *

Two lone figures were strolling together under the moonlight. They walked in silence, both seemingly lost in thought.

"Do you have something to say, Kuronue-san? Something seems to be on your mind…"

"Oh, it's nothing."

'_How can I tell her? There's no way she'll take it easily. And besides, Kurama will kill me for sure.'_

Kuronue sighed as he thought about the silver fox. He knew quite well how the fox felt about these kind of things. He knew the fox detested such emotions, that he considered one weak if one was to let his emotions get the better of him.

_

* * *

_

_Still, they ran. Even though their little robbery was successful and there was no way the guards could catch them now, they kept on running. They just didn't feel like stopping, they were just enjoying it, feeling the wind brush past their faces._

_Finally, they stopped and fell onto the ground, exhausted. They tried to catch their breath after laughing so much and running at the same time._

_The moon was bright that night. Its light fell on the face of one of the thieves. He looked like a young teenager, his black hair swept up in a ponytail behind him. Black, leathery wings emerged from his back. He was quite good-looking, and well built._

_Kuronue leaned back. He was rather exhausted after that long run and still sweating with excitement._

_"That was fun. Those jerks couldn't even catch us."_

_His friend laughed. He was also a well-built young man, with long, flowing silver hair. His clothes hung loosely from his shoulders and he had attractive hazel eyes. This was Youko as Kuronue remembered. Young and clever, he had a bright future ahead of him, for one could easily see that he had the brains and not to mention, the looks too._

"_That was merely a trifle. Wait till we tackle the bigger ones, my friend. But we would have to get stronger first."_

_Kuronue shook his head, amused. That was just like his friend, planning ahead before doing anything. But he sometimes felt that Kurama should stop thinking about becoming stronger and spend some time doing other stuff, like having fun, making friends… And maybe…_

"_Kurama? Ever thought of getting a girlfriend?"_

"_No. Who would?"_

"_Well, we are young and… I have to say, seductively attractive. Why don't we have some fun, huh?"_

_Kurama sighed. "Kuronue, my friend… Why fall for these little pleasures? One should concentrate on becoming stronger. Women will just slow us down."_

"_That's what you say. You know, I think I spotted one or two good ones by the river the other day…"_

"_What have you been doing? Spying on them taking their bath?"_

"_No! What makes you think I'd do that?"_

"_For one thing, you're too much of a playboy."_

"_I am not. But don't tell me that cute fox girl didn't catch your eye the other day."_

"_She didn't. I just smiled at her because it was common courtesy."_

"_You're weird, you know that?"_

"_I am not weird. I detest such display of affections."_

"_You don't really mean that, do you?"_

_Kurama looked Kuronue straight in the eye._

"_Emotions are for weaklings. Ridding your head of these useless thoughts is a strength, not everyone can accomplish. Love, is something I've never felt in my life, and I'm not fond of it either, nor do I long to be loved or to love."_

* * *

Kuronue never forgot his answer, nor did he forget the look in Kurama's eyes when he said that. From that day on, Kuronue's respect for his friend grew, and at the same time, he realized that all Kurama seemed to be after was power, status, respect and a reputation soon to be feared by the whole of Makai._'So, Kurama, am I weak then?'_

He tried to be like his friend, to drown out all emotions, to not feel pity for others, to aim for the best. But somehow, he just couldn't. Then he reminded himself that Kurama hadn't exactly accomplished it either. For one thing, he felt sympathy for the girl beside him now. That was the reason Kurama took her in.

"Kuronue-san, did you know Sensei for a long time?"

"Yes, a very long time."

"Ah, so you understand him very well, am I right?"

"You can say that. But sometimes, I find it hard to fully understand him."

"I can't seem to understand him sometimes, too…"

Both of them fell silent. The still forest around them seemed to be waiting for something to happen, as if it were holding its breath.

'_**Just tell her. She'll understand.'**_

_'No, she won't. I don't think she will.'_

'_**That's what you think. But she hasn't had her eye on anyone yet, right? So, tell her then!'**_

_'Does this mean I'm weak? To fall for feelings like this?'_

"I…have something to say…"

"What is it, Kuronue-san?"

Kuronue didn't dare to look up. Instead, he stared at the ground and pondered his next move.

He stood up suddenly. "Do you… I mean… I…"

Ariya got to her feet. "Kuronue-san, what's the matter? You… you don't look alright…"

"I'm… I'm fine… I just…"

"If there's something wrong, just tell me. I don't want you to keep it inside…"

Kuronue looked at her. Her eyes were filled with concern. Yet, they were still beautiful…

He didn't know what made him do what he did next.

* * *

Kurama strode through the trees. He hadn't found them yet. He was beginning to wonder whether they were in trouble or not.

Suddenly, he thought he heard voices up ahead. He started walking lightly, just in case that wasn't someone friendly. Slowly, he sneaked up behind a tree and peered into the clearing.

He could see two figures up ahead. They seemed to be kissing. Kurama shook his head, then prepared to walk away.

Suddenly, he caught sight of those familiar bat wings.

_'Kuronue? What the…'_

So the bat really had a girlfriend. To think he hid it all these years. Kurama smiled. He would tease the bat later, let him have his fun now.

Then his eyes fell on the girl with him. His heart sank. _'No way…'_

_'It couldn't be. She wouldn't…'_

But there was no mistaking that flowing black hair. A sudden surge of rage rose up inside Kurama. _'Kuronue, how could you?'_

He didn't know why he was feeling that way. Suddenly, he hated the bat so much he wanted to just kill him on the spot.

Kurama turned away and strode from the clearing, determined to put as much space as he could in between him and the two of them…

* * *

Ariya's eyes widened with shock as Kuronue pulled her closer and pressed his lips against hers. She tried to struggle, but the bat was stronger than she was, holding her tightly in his arms._'Kuronue-san!'_

Her mind raced frantically. _'Kuronue-san! What are you doing?'_

The more she tried to push him away, the tighter he held her.

"Kuronue-san, please…" She tried to say, but Kuronue silenced her by kissing her softly.

_'Kuronue-san… Please… Sensei wouldn't…'_

Suddenly, she thought about Kurama. She pulled away and stumbled backwards, still a little shocked.

Kuronue could see the fear in her eyes too. He didn't know what made him do it, he just wasn't thinking…

"Ariya! I'm… I didn't mean to…"

Ariya didn't look at him. _'Sensei, I'm sorry…'_

Kuronue went over to her. "I'm sorry… I should have told you… Asked you first…"

Ariya just shook her head. "Kuronue-san, you have to understand… I treat you like… a good friend… that's all…"

Kuronue felt a little hurt at those words. "But, I…"

"And besides, Sensei will kill you if he found out. I don't want him to do that…"

Kuronue hesitated. "I thought about that too. Look, we could tell him, I'm sure he wouldn't mind…"

"Kuronue-san, I don't have the same feelings you have for me! I…"

Something fell into place in his mind. Suddenly, Kuronue realized why she was making so many excuses.

"You like Kurama, don't you?"

Ariya didn't answer. Kuronue sighed. His friend beat him to it again.

"Fine then, I won't push you any more. It's pointless trying to force someone to love you when that person's already in love with someone else."

"Kuronue-san, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be… I'll get over it… In the meantime, let's go tell Kurama."

"No!"

Kuronue stopped. "Why?"

"Because… I'm afraid… He doesn't like this kind of stuff, remember? And… I don't want him to know… Just yet…"

Kuronue felt guilty for making her feel so bad. "Don't worry. I'll be there for you, ok?"

She nodded. Kuronue smiled and said: "Now let's go look for that fox. He must be worried sick by now."

* * *

'_**Are you jealous?'**_

_'No, I'm not.'_

'_**Then why are you angry?'**_

_'I… Shut up!'_

'_**Don't let that bat get away with it. Are you going to let him take away the one thing you care for the most?'**_

_'He's my friend. I can't get mad at him.'_

Kurama was standing on a cliff overlooking the forest. The scene was still playing in front of his eyes. No matter how he tried to drown it out, it still came back.

Enraged, he started to hit a rock beside him. _Kuronue… friendship… betrayal… Ariya…_ All those thoughts were all rushing into his head all at once.

_Ariya!_ That was the one that hurt him the most. He didn't ask for her to love him, just as long as she stayed by his side, that was all he ever asked for.

He didn't care that his fist was bleeding, he just kept on hitting the rock, letting out all of his anger. Finally, he collapsed to the ground. Tears filled his eyes.

'_What's the matter with me? Crying over something like this? Kurama, get a grip on yourself!'_

'_**This is all because of that stupid bat, isn't it? Don't you want to kill him?'**_

'_Stop it… please… No more talking…'_

'_No more…'_

* * *

Ariya and Kuronue decided to split up to look for Kurama. She was still thinking about what happened just now. What if Kurama found out?

She spotted someone standing on a cliff. _'Sensei!'_ She thought happily.

Running as fast as her legs could carry her, she raced up the mountainside.

_'Please… No more…'_

"Sensei?"

Ariya stopped in her tracks. "Sensei! What happened? Why are you hurt?"

She rushed over to his side. "Sensei! Are you alright?"

Kurama opened his eyes. "Ariya?"

_A sudden flashback… Kuronue… Ariya…_

He pushed her to the side roughly. "Get off!"

"Sensei, what's the matter?"

"You're asking me what's the matter? Where have you been?"

Ariya was a little bit startled by his attitude. "I… was with Kuronue-san… Sensei… You're hurt…"

_So they were really together…_ "Doing what?"

"We went for a walk…"

"That's all?"

Ariya hesitated. _How could she tell him?_ "Sensei, why are you angry at me? I'm sorry I disappeared for a while… I'm sorry…"

"No need to be. What should you be sorry for?"

"I… Sensei…"

Kurama looked away from her. If he continued to look at her, he would be reminded of the incident that just happened. His rage was rearing up inside him, like a serpent ready to strike.

_**'Just ask her to leave…'**_

"Why are you still calling me that?" He said in a dangerous tone.

"Sensei? But you're my mentor. I can't call you by name, right?"

"Well, now you can. Because you're free to go."

"What? Free to go?"

"Yes. From now on, I'm not your mentor anymore. I don't want to have anything to do with you, is that clear?"

Those words hit Ariya in the face. "No… No, I can't… Sensei… please…"

"Don't call me that! I'm not your Sensei anymore, got it? You're strong enough to survive on your own, so leave! I don't want to be slowed down by you any longer!"

"Sensei… please… I don't want to leave…" _Why was he in such a rage?_

Kurama didn't answer. He stood with his back facing her. A part of him supported what he was doing but yet, another part of him longed for her to stay.

'_**Just get rid of her. She's the one causing you so much pain… Get rid of her and you'll be happier.'**_

'_Is that so? Will I be happier? Without Ariya in my life?'_

A sudden sob startled him. He glanced at her. She was crying as if her heart would break. Suddenly, he felt guilty for causing her this pain.

_**'Don't look at her. Women just use these little tricks to get you…'**_

"I told you to leave…"

"Sensei… I can't… I'd rather die before I have to leave."

Kurama was shocked by those words. Still, he held his ground. "I don't want you to die. Just leave."

"Sensei... You were the one who took care of me all these years... I can't leave..."

Silence. An all out war was raging inside his heart.

"Sensei… please… If ... if you don't kill me... before I... I have... to leave, I'll do it myself."

Kurama spun around. All he saw was a flash of a dagger and a swift movement.

"No, don't! Stop!"

* * *

Ok, like I said, this is entirely HikariMMD's fault. Haha, ok, fine… Don't blame it on her… But don't blame it on me either, haha! Anyway, read and review, thanks! 


	6. Chapter 6 Sunshine after the Storm

Tears flowed steadily from her eyes. _'Why is he asking me to leave?'_

Memories flashed through her mind. She could almost feel her heart breaking into tiny pieces.

_'I've already lost my mother…my home…everything…I don't want to lose Sensei too…I don't want to leave…'_

Her eyes fell on the dagger at her side. Subconsciously, her hand moved towards it.

_'Is there anything else for me to live for? If I were to lose the last thing I have left…to leave the one I love…Life would be meaningless…'_

She unsheathed the dagger. "Sensei…I can't…I'd rather die before I have to leave…"

"I don't want you to die. Just leave."

"Sensei, please…If you don't kill me before I have to leave, I'll do it myself…"

The dagger flashed in the moonlight. Kurama spun around in shock.

"No, don't!"

He cursed himself. _'You baka fox! If she loses her life because of this, I'll never forgive myself!'_

He sprang at her, hoping he was quick enough to stop her.

He wasn't. The ground before him was covered in blood and time just seemed to stop.

**Chapter 6 – Sunshine after the Storm**

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and so are all the characters in it. As much as I wished, I still don't own Kurama…oh sob…

Sorry for the delay, I hope you guys haven't been killed by the suspense. So sorry…

* * *

Moonlight fell on the crimson ground. Blood dripped from the dagger, dripping steadily onto the pool on the ground.

The bat demon gritted his teeth in pain. The dagger stabbed his arm as he was trying to block it from stabbing the intended victim.

"Kuronue-san! I'm sorry! Are you alright?"

Kuronue didn't answer. He glared at Kurama for a full minute before yelling at him.

"WHAT THE HECK DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?"

Kurama couldn't help feeling a little relieved. At least no lives were lost…

Kuronue snarled in anger. "And you too, trying to end your life like that. What would I have done if you had died, huh?"

"Kuronue, I…"

"Shut up, you stupid fox! You nearly killed her, you know that? If I hadn't reached here in time, who knows what would've happened. How could you be so mean to her?"

"Kuronue-san, please… You're hurt…"

"Never mind me, worry about that mentor of yours! That demon's got a few screws loose, I'll say. What did you get so mad for, Kurama?"

Kurama remained silent. All that happened in the past hour was still a little too much for him. Now come to think of it, how could he have let his jealousy overwhelm himself?

"I didn't mean to…I didn't…I was just…"

"Just what? Look, it's not her fault, ok?"

Kurama looked up. "Not her fault for what?"

"I know what you're ranting on about. She didn't have any notion of doing that, I did. If there's anyone you should scold, scold me. Don't blame it on her just because you want her to be single forever."

Kurama felt a little annoyed. "I don't want her to…Hey! I didn't say that! Kuronue, you…"

By then, Kurama was too lost for words. Kuronue was glaring at him so fiercely that he dropped his gaze.

"You'd better apologize to her. And for your info, your student here has been very obedient and refused to start any relationship with me. Does that settle things?"

Kurama's heart gave a little skip. _'So she's not…I've been such a fool…Never again will I let my suspicions and jealousy control my emotions like that…'_

"Hey…ermm…I'm sorry…I was just a little too…ermm…"

"It's ok, Sensei. So, do I still have to leave?"

"No! No, you don't. I just said that in a fit of rage, that's all."

Kuronue sighed. "So it's settled then…" Then he fainted on the ground.

"Kuronue!"

"Kuronue-san! Wake up!"

* * *

A few days later, things were the same as ever. Kuronue's arm was healing well, he and Ariya tried their best to pretend that nothing ever happened between them and Kurama tried his best to pretend he had never seen them kissing in the forest the other day.

"Don't you ever say anything hurtful to her again."

"I won't. I promise. And I'm really interested to know, why didn't you ever tell me that you were in love with her?"

"Because I thought that you'd kill me for sure."

"…Oh… I'm sure that if you had told me in a nice way…"

"Drop it, Kurama. Anyway, there has to be another reason other than being over-protective of her that made you so mad that day."

Kurama stared at the ground. "I don't quite follow you…"

"You pretty much do, Kurama. Tell me, were you… jealous?"

"No, why would I be?"

"Do you like her or not, Kurama? Because you care way to much to be only caring for her as a mentor, you know."

Kurama didn't know what to say. Was it true that he really liked her? Or was someone toying with his mind?

"If you like her, Kurama, then just tell her. Get it over with. You'll regret if you drag this relationship on any more. I can tell that she cares deeply for you too."

"She respects me. I'm in a different position than you are, Kuronue. Imagine how would you feel if your mentor suddenly came up to you and confessed his love?"

Kuronue shook his head.

* * *

The youkai cowered at the dark figure in front of him. Spluttering, he tried to get his words out.

"I found them, master! I found them!" He spluttered excitedly.

His master merely raised an eyebrow at him as he continued with his report.

"It was just as you had suspected, master! The girl is alive! The one you saw in the forest a few years back, she is the only survivor of all your attacks!"

"The only survivor, did you say?"

The youkai flinched at the icy tones. His master continued. "I wonder, how is it that a young girl can survive our attack and not die yet?"

"She has had help from a certain kitsune, master."

"I've heard of that already. Youko Kurama, am I correct?"

"Yes, my lord."

The demon got up from his seat and walked over to the window. His eyes glinted with malice and evil, the look of an obsessed killer.

"I've killed every single person in every one of my raids… No one has ever survived… How is it that a mere child survived my attack and lived to bear witness to my act? I do hate it when things are not as perfect as I planned it to be…"

"Master, I…"

"You'd hold your tongue if you knew what was best for you… All this while… I love doing things perfectly… My policy is… No survivors allowed…"

"Master… This girl… She seems to have taken refuge with Youko Kurama…"

"An accomplished Spirit Master, an excellent strategist, and a ruthless, cold-blooded killer too… I've heard of him… This makes the kill even more interesting…"

"You… Master… You plan on going after the girl?"

"Why of course. I plan to tie up all the loose ends… And if I'm lucky… Eliminate a potential threat as well…"

"You mean… You want Kurama out of the way as well?"

"If possible, yes. He's not much of a threat right now, but given desperate situations, he might be trouble to me. Now, find out exactly where the girl is and tell me."

"Why don't I bring some of the others to kill her for you?"

"No. I'm rather interested to find out how much a young girl can improve in so many years. I must say, I have this urge to end her life myself… I haven't killed in years, you know…"

"Very well, master. Shall I find out more about Kurama as well?"

"Yes, find out everything you can about him. But don't let him catch any wind of this. We don't want to lose the element of surprise, do we?"

"No, master, we won't…"

"Now go! What are you waiting for?"

The youkai fled out the door. His master watched him run away with a look of disgust on his face. Then his eyes lit up with a fierce glint, a bloodthirsty look of an obsessed killer…

* * *

_Laughter rang out in the night sky. Evil laughter, that of a killer who didn't care about the pain of death… Who enjoyed taking the lives of others… Who utterly destroyed her life…_

_A bead of sweat formed on Ariya's forehead. Her hand shaking, she gripped her whip tightly with one hand and faced her worst nightmare…_

"_How are you, Ariya? Doing well, I presume?"_

_Ariya glared at him. 'How did he know my name?'_

_The demon took a few steps towards her. "Don't worry. I'll make sure your death will be painless, unlike your mother… Too bad… I did so want to hear you scream…"_

"_You took my mother's life… You'll pay for this!"_

_She leapt at him, lashing out with her whip. He vanished into thin air, reappearing beside her. Each time she tried to hit him, he just vanished and then reappeared like a ghost._

"_You're not real… No, you're not… Get out of my head…"_

'_This is just a nightmare… A nightmare…' She thought. 'Please let me wake up and forget…'_

_A cold hand touched her shoulder. Looking up, an evil grin greeted her. "Now tell me, should I end your life now, or should I toy with you a little longer?"_

"

* * *

Kurama stopped in his tracks. He could hear someone crying, the cries sounding really familiar…

'_Why is she crying?'_

He ran into the clearing, only to find her curled up on the floor, crying.

"Ariya! What's the matter?"

When she didn't answer, Kurama quickly picked her up and pulled her into a hug, letting her sob in his arms. He could feel that she was shaking with fear too.

Kurama stroked her hair gently. "Shh… Calm down… Don't cry anymore, alright? I'm here…"

After a few minutes, her tears stopped. Kurama just held her tightly in his arms. Then, he broke the silence.

"You mind telling me what's going on?"

Ariya shook her head. "Just a nightmare…" She muttered softly.

"It was more than a nightmare… A normal nightmare wouldn't make you cry…"

"It's nothing… really… you don't have to worry about me, Sensei…"

"Now when you say that, I really get worried…"

After a long pause, Ariya finally told Kurama about the nightmare.

"He won't be coming back, I assure you. And even if he does, I promise, I won't let him hurt you, alright?"

Ariya nodded, then said: "Thank you, Sensei…"

With that, she closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

Kurama however, sat there pondering over what she had said. He remembered what Itsutoki had told him before.

_"They know, Kurama. They know."_

_'Do they really know I'm hiding her? Do they really know who she is, or that she survived? And do they want to finish the job?'_

Kurama preferred not to think about what they would do if they ever found her. If they could burn down entire villages, kill women and innocent children, laugh as their victims begged for mercy and still cause nightmares for a child even after so many years, who know what they will do next.

Somehow, he had a very, very bad feeling about this. In his heart, he silently wished that they never would come back.

* * *

Kuronue yawned and stretched himself. Beside him, the other bandits were lying around, looking extremely bored as well.

"Oh Kurama… I'm so darn bored…"

"Don't complain, Kuronue. All your whining is clouding up my mind. I'm trying to think of a strategy for our next raid."

Kuronue rolled his eyes and looked at Ariya, who in turn, looked back at him.

"What is it, Kuronue-san?"

"You never go on raids… Why don't you join us this time?"

"No, Kuronue. You know perfectly well why she can't go. And I'll never allow it too."

"I know, but she has to come to terms with it someday."

"Kuronue-san, I'm not afraid of going on raids. I'm just worried I might slow you down."

"Yeah… You'll be too busy looking at her that you might fall into a trap and get yourself killed…"

"Watch your mouth, you fox…"

Ariya blushed and stood up, muttering that she had to go somewhere. Once she was out of earshot, Kuronue whispered to Kurama.

"Told her yet?"

Kurama felt a tremor run through his heart.

"Told… told her what?"

"How you feel about her. You do like her right?"

"Kuronue, we've been through this already. No, I don't."

"Oh yes, you do. I can see it from your face, you really like her."

"Even if I do, I don't have to confess. What do you want me to do? Get on my knees and propose to her?"

"No, who would be that stupid?"

"Well, you would, but…"

"KURAMA!!!"

"I'm just not saying anything, that's all."

"You're just being stubborn… Kurama, please. Don't wait till it's too late."

Kurama paused momentarily. "Why would it be too late?"

"You never know, Kurama. Anything can happen anytime."

Kurama forced a laugh. "It's not like any of us is going to die, right?"

If only he knew how wrong that statement was…

* * *

They ran as fast as they could, past the defenses and the guards. Silently, they slipped into the palace, disappearing into the shadows with great expertise.

That's right, guys. Youko Kurama and his accomplice Kuronue have just decided to do a little shopping at the nearest palace. Without paying, of course…

This time, they didn't bring the rest of the bandits along. They just decided to do a little stealing without waking the others up. Besides, Yomi would only complain and whine all the way…

"Nice move, Kuronue!" Kurama said as Kuronue stunned the guards.

The bat demon smiled. "Now it's your turn, foxy…"

Kurama smirked. He paused in front of a wall.

"How dim do they think we are?"

Focusing his spirit energy on the wall, he blasted it and it disappeared to reveal a secret door behind it.

"I don't know why they think we'd never notice the difference between a real wall and a fake one."

Within a few seconds, Kurama had picked the lock and they entered the vault. A few minutes later, they were both running away from the palace as fast as they could, laughing as they heard the guards chase them.

It was just a little fun, what harm could it do? Like Kurama said, it's not like anyone was going to die, right?

* * *

Ok, firstly, SORRY!!! I'm so sorry that I took so long to upload this… I was just so caught up with life and its twists and turns… And I was really depressed for quite a while too. But don't worry, I'm ok… hehe…

Chapter 7 is coming up soon, please wait patiently, ok?


	7. Chapter 7 A Wounded Soul

Kurama ran through the forest, running as though he would never stop. Tears streamed down his face, as he ran on without looking back.

His arm was wounded, but he ignored the stinging pain, for the pain in his heart was greater. _'Why?'_ he thought bitterly. _'Why did I leave him behind?'_

Suddenly, his knees gave way beneath him and he sank to the ground, sobbing. Blood ran down his arm, but he didn't even bother to wipe it off.

The forest was silent, as if listening, just listening, to the cries of a wounded fox. Not a soul stirred, except for a silver-haired kitsune mourning over the loss of something precious.

_'I'm sorry, Kuronue… I'm sorry… How could I? I'm such a fool… Kuronue… No…'_

All that happened in the past few hours seemed so blur… Yet it seemed like only a few hours ago, that Kuronue was laughing and telling him that it was so easy…

_'Kuronue… I'm sorry…'_

But deep in his heart, Kurama knew, even if he didn't want to admit it, that there was no changing the fact. Kuronue was dead, and no amount of sobbing or begging was ever going to bring him back to life again.

**Chapter 7 – A Wounded Soul**

Disclaimer: I think we've been through this already, right? Ah, never mind, I'll say it again… Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi and not me, ok? Now let's continue…

* * *

Kurama's hand closed around their prize. "It's so simple, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, it is. We should do this more often, Kurama."

Kurama smiled. But they had no time to stay and chat, the guards quickly detected their presence and soon furious shouts were ringing out behind them.

"Time to go, Kuronue."

Kuronue nodded and spread his wings. Kurama ran towards the main gate. Above him, he could hear the bat demon's strong wings beating the air. The guards attempted an attack on Kurama which was all in vain.

Kuronue joined him in a few minutes. Then they both fled out the gate, into the forest. The shouts grew fainter, and they were way ahead of any annoying demon guard.

"Oh no!"

Kurama spun around at his friend's cry.

"Don't! Kuronue!"

Kurama cried out as his friend sprang back for the pendant that snapped. Somehow, his heartbeat grew faster as he watched Kuronue run back to retrieve it.

_'Darn you, Kuronue! I know that pendant is precious to you, but we're in a life and death situation here!'_

It happened so fast, yet it seemed to play in slow motion in front of Kurama. His eyes widened in shock, as all he could do was just watch as the horror scene unfolded in front of him. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was all so shocking, all so…unreal…

A sharp bamboo shot up, piercing through Kuronue's leg, the trap having functioned perfectly.

Kuronue cried out in pain. Kurama quickly started back to help the trapped demon, but even as he watched, more bamboo sprang up, ripping through the dark silhouette that was trying to escape.

"Kuronue!"

"Forget about me, Kurama! Go, run!"

Kurama stopped. He was barely even aware of the tears rolling down the side of his face. _'Why am I crying?'_

"I said, leave me! Run!"

Kurama didn't even seem to hear it. His legs however, obeyed the order, and he ran as fast as he could, away from there.

Away from his dying friend.

* * *

"Yomi-san."

Yomi looked up. "What?"

"Where's Sensei and Kuronue-san?"

"How in the world do you expect me to know?"

"I thought you of all people should at least know…"

"Well, I don't. Why? What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm just wondering where they could be."

As Ariya turned to walk away, her fear still did not manage to subside.

_'Why am I feeling so worried?' _

_

* * *

'This can't be happening…' _

_**'It's happening, Kurama…Believe it…' **_

_'No…No…Kuronue…' _

Kurama felt so guilty…So bad…So overwhelmed with grief as he thought about what he had said just the other day.

"It's not as if any of us is gonna die, right?" 

A thought hit Kurama. Maybe…this was a nightmare…he just had to wake up from it…

But as the cold of the night sank in, Kurama realized, that this was no dream… As he closed his eyes… All he could see was that darn bat laughing in front of him…

* * *

Ariya ran towards all the commotion. Sneaking up quietly behind the guards, she held her breath as she listened to what they were saying.

"I can't believe they managed to escape."

"The lord is going to get us for losing that artifact…"

"Those bandits are getting bold, aren't they?"

Ariya didn't need to hear more. She ran from the castle, searching the forest for tracks.

All she found were the footprints of two people, running to escape guards. Then she saw something up ahead. As moonlight hit the ground, she saw red.

"No…"

* * *

_'Why…Why did it have to end this way?' _

The cold wind brushed his shoulder, sending shivers up his spine.

_'Kuronue… This is all my fault…'_

"Sensei!"

Ariya ran up to the fox, who was kneeling on the ground. He didn't even look up when she ran to him.

"Sensei… You're alive…"

She felt so relieved at the very sight of him, but also sad to see him in such pain. And she knew why too…

Tears fell silently to the ground. Two souls, weeping over the loss of a treasured friend… The stars twinkled innocently in the night sky, not seeming to know of the blood shed below them.

Aware of her presence, Kurama stood up shakily. "It's my fault… I killed my best friend…"

"Sensei, you didn't… Stop blaming yourself…"

"He's dead…And it's all because of my stupid mistake…"

"Sensei, please listen…"

"I couldn't save him…"

"Sensei!"

Kurama turned around at the tone of her voice. Her eyes were red from crying and Kurama could see that she was struggling to keep her sobs in.

"I too, am upset over Kuronue-san's death, Sensei. But I don't think he would want to see the both of us in such pain because of him. Kuronue-san won't like it…"

"You don't get it… If I had stayed…"

"You would have died. Kuronue-san knew it, so he told you to run. If it was you out there, Sensei, wouldn't you have told him to leave you as well?"

Kurama fell silent. He knew somehow, that he had to move on, he had to live strong, not just for himself, but for those who truly cared for him.

Ariya touched his shoulder. "We'll get through this together, right, sensei?"

Kurama nodded. He pulled her into a close hug. _'I'll make sure… I'll protect you… I can't bear to lose another again…'_

* * *

The death of Kuronue shook the entire gang. For quite a while, no one dared to say a word about this to Kurama. The atmosphere within the gang was tense, and all that was heard were whispered rumors about this and that.

Kurama kept very much to himself lately. He hardly said a word to anyone, and his eyes became cold and emotionless. Everyone said he could do with Kuronue's bright attitude now, but they all knew the only reason their leader became like this was because he lost his best friend.

At this very moment, Yomi and a few others were having a whispered discussion under a tree.

"So, do you think we should act on our own then, Yomi?"

"I don't know why I'm saying this, but, no. Let's wait till his mood clears up a bit. Then only we act. I have a bad feeling, that if we act now, and Kurama finds out that we've been having all these little discussions… Well, I don't think he'll be happy…"

"Sigh… I do hope he's all right… I kinda miss Kuronue…" muttered one of them.

The other three turned around and stared at the guy. He too stared back with a dumb expression on his face.

"What?"

"Shut up!" They hissed.

"What the…" He yelped as they covered his mouth.

All four glanced behind them. Kurama was still sitting in the original position since the last hour. He seemed to be asleep.

Yomi let go of the guy. "Don't you know we never mention _his_ name nowadays? Not when _he_ is around…"

"He? Who's he?"

"Kuro… Never mind!"

"But why can't we say Kurama's name in front of Kurama?"

"No, you idiot! Don't mention _his _name in front of Kurama!"

"Who? Kuronue?"

"No. I mean, yes! I mean… Just shut up…"

At that point, Kurama stood up and walked away. As he vanished into the trees, the four bandits started squabbling on whether or not Kuronue's name was still a legal word or not.

* * *

"There's no point for me to spar with you, Sensei, if you don't pay attention to what I'm doing."

"Huh?" Kurama looked up.

Ariya frowned at him. "At this rate, I could have killed you twenty times and you wouldn't have noticed."

Kurama sighed. "I'm sorry. Let's start over again, shall we?"

"Maybe we should stop practice, Sensei. You're not in the mood."

Having said that, she sat down. Kurama sat down beside her.

"Sensei…life has to go on…If you don't move on with your life, you'll only end up washed away with time. And face it, no matter how much we want, how much we wished, Kuronue-san will never come back…"

Kurama paused awhile before answering. "I know he can't come back, but…it's just not the same without him…"

There was an awkward silence. Then something resurfaced in his mind; something he had meant to ask her since last night.

"May I know, did you have another nightmare last night?"

Ariya was slightly taken aback. "It wasn't the same as last time, Sensei…It wasn't really a nightmare either…It was just…It was weird, really…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I normally dream of this demon…and I'm fighting him…but last night…we weren't fighting… It was more of a discussion…"

"And what did he say?"

"I forgot…"

"Ah…"

All his sorrow…seemed to vanish as he talked to her. In his head, he could hear Kuronue's constant nagging about his feelings.

_'Ah…shut up, Kuronue…I know what to do…' _

_**'No, you don't, you stupid fox…you can't play around with emotions, neither can you make it wait…What makes you think she'll wait for you?'**_

'_I don't need that…I just want to stay by her side…that's enough…'_

**'_Ya, but things like this can't wait, or you might regret. I mean, what if she ain't here tomorrow, like me? Come to think of it, I think you still owe me ten bucks, you know…'_**

Kurama shook himself. _'What the…? I must be imagining things…'_

"Hey, Sensei?"

Kurama looked at her. "Yes?"

"I was thinking…since we both have shadows to flee from now…Why don't we get through this together? If I put my past behind me, you have to promise not to cry over Kuronue anymore, ok?"

Kurama was stunned. He didn't quite know what to say.

"Well…" He nodded slowly.

"Ok then! So it's no more nightmares for me and no more talking in your sleep for you then!"

"Hey, what do you mean, I talk in my sleep?"

"Well…not exactly talking…more like moaning…"

* * *

The evening sun was setting above their heads. Kurama and Ariya headed back to camp, slowly walking through the woods. Yet even as they neared the camp, Kurama could sense that something was wrong.

"Ariya, be on your guard. Something isn't quite right here…"

Both of them drew out their weapons and crept cautiously into the clearing.

"Oh dear…"

Blood was smeared all over the ground. Bodies were lying everywhere. The entire place was utterly destroyed and whiffs of smoke were still curling slowly up from the charred remains.

"Ku…kurama!"

"Yomi? Is that you?"

Yomi grinned sheepishly as he tried to get up. But the effort proved too much for him, and he collapsed again. Kurama ran over to him and made him sit up.

"What happened here? Who did this?"

Another bandit stumbled over. "Some nut job just waltzed over and started slashing everyone and everything in sight. We were totally caught off guard!"

"Who in the world would want to do that? I assume they didn't take anything, right?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Just guessing…"

Ariya cast a wary glance towards the distance. "Whoever it was, he's long gone by now…"

No one was killed during the attack, a situation that got Kurama pondering the real reason and motive behind the sudden ambush.

'If they weren't here to kill or steal… What were they here for?' 

The only person he could think of that bore a grudge against him was Itsutoki. Ok… There were plenty of people that wanted nothing better than his head displayed on their wall but the only one so far who ever took any serious action was still Itsutoki. Thinking about that demon made him remember something Itsutoki once told him.

**_'They know, Kurama…'_**

Cold sweat broke out from under his brow. _'It can't be… What do they want with her?'_

He glanced at his student. She was now trying to put a bandage on a very infuriated Yomi. Yomi was wincing and complaining all the way long.

_'She's so nice… So beautiful… So perfect… Who would want to hurt her?'_

Kurama stood up. He had made up his mind. He was going to go look for some answers.

_'I want answers. I want to know who we're dealing with, and what do they want. No one… I repeat… No one attacks my men without a reason and gets away with it!'_

* * *

Ahh… Finally I finished this chapter. I know it has been such a long wait, but I just couldn't bear to kill off Kuronue… Oh sob… Anyway, I apologize for making all of you wait so long. The truth is, I've been very busy lately, and I barely have time to even touch the computer. So, please wait patiently for the next chapter, ok?

And in the meantime, you all can R&R, and if you get too impatient with me, just drop me a line and I'll try to speed up the process. XD Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8 Bloodshed under a Silver Moon

He ran as fast as he could, tripping over his own legs in a frantic attempt to run away

He ran as fast as he could, tripping over his own legs in a frantic attempt to run away. Cold sweat was dripping off his forehead, as he dodged into the shadows in a panic. Crouching down in a hidden corner of the alleyway, he prayed that his pursuer would not find him.

"Hiding again, are we? Don't bother, I can smell you out from a mile away."

Itsutoki gave a strangled yelp and tried to leap away as a shadow loomed out from behind him. But before he could get any further, a whip cracked and destroyed the wall beside him, causing bricks to fall on top of the poor demon.

"Oww…"

As he scrambled to his feet, his breath was knocked clean out of him as he was pinned against the wall by a strong arm. A pair of cold, golden eyes fixed themselves upon his scared face. He grinned sheepishly.

"Uh… Hello… How… how are you doing, Kurama?"

The kitsune did not reply. Instead, he tightened his grip on Itsutoki's throat.

"Gasp…Hey! I… What do you want?"

"Answers."

"Wh-what?"

"I said, I want answers…"

Itsutoki blinked. "Answers? To what?"

The icy glare he received in return sent a chill down his spine. "Just tell me everything you know… About a certain group of bandits… That could potentially be a threat to one of my members…"

"Oh… You mean that girl… Ack!" Itsutoki choked as Kurama tightened his grip. "Sorry… sorry! I… I don't really know a lot…"

Kurama raised his eyebrows. Then he smiled coldly. "Well then. You won't be much of use to me anymore… I'll just have to dispose of you…"

"Fine! I'll talk! Just don't… Don't go telling people that I spilt the beans, ok? These demons are deadly… They practically kill for fun!"

"Go on. I'm listening…"

"These bandits… They're notorious for murder and theft. They destroy everything, leaving nothing but charred remains in their wake. I wouldn't wanna be the one they're after right now…"

"That person happens to be a part of my team… And I intend to make sure that they do not get anyone of my gang…"

**Chapter 8 – Bloodshed under the Silver Moon**

Disclaimer: I seriously am tired of typing this… Nevermind, I'm in a good mood, so, Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me, and neither does its characters. They all belong to Yoshihiro Togashi who is by far (to me) the best mangaka ever. Go Yoshihiro Togashi!

* * *

"There you are, Kurama!"

The rest of the gang looked up as their leader entered the clearing. Ariya leaped to her feet and walked over to the kitsune.

"Sensei, where did you go to?"

"I went to settle some things with an old friend, that's all…"

"Who? Kuronue?" A scatter-brained idiot asked. Yomi hit him on the head.

As a series of scuffling and punching ensued, Kurama strolled away with Ariya at his heels.

* * *

"Sensei, you're going to do something dangerous, aren't you?"

"Heh… I really can't hide anything from you, can I? And don't I always do dangerous stuff?"

"No, I mean… Something… Far more dangerous than you've ever faced… I'm not an idiot, you know…"

"Well, I've always thought you were…"

"Hey, what kind of mentor are you?"

"A really hot and handsome one?"

"Yeah right…" Ariya laughed cheerfully, though turning slightly red at the thought. Kurama smiled, but his heart was breaking somehow…And he didn't know why… He just felt as if this was all too good to last…

"Sensei? May I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

Ariya hesitated before continuing. "Take me with you."

"What?!"

"I said, take me with you…"

Kurama looked into her eyes, dumbfounded. _'She looks really determined to follow me… She'll never change her mind… I know it…'_

"Sensei? I really want to fight alongside you… I… I don't want you to leave… And never return… Just like Kuronue-san…"

She quickly wiped her eyes, not wanting Kurama to see her tears. He pretended not to, anyway.

"If I tell you where I'm going to…"

"I won't care. I'm still going to follow."

Kurama sighed. "Do you know why I took you in? Do you remember what I said to you?"

"Yes… And the only reason I trained so hard was to take revenge… But now, I'm happy enough with this life… Revenge doesn't matter…"

"It doesn't?"

Ariya shook her head. "No, it really doesn't matter anymore."

Kurama was silent. _'Well then… If she doesn't want revenge, there's no point for me to do it for her… But I still have to ensure her safety…'_

* * *

A sleeping forest under the moonlight is a beautiful sight. It is seemingly unblemished, silent and still… But tonight, a shadow crosses this image gracefully…

Ariya ran through the trees silently, her dagger by her side. Not that she used it much, but she always carried it around just in case. It had been given to her by Kuronue, and she treasured it all the more now that he was gone.

She kept her whip the same way Kurama did with his, in her hair. But she used it as an ornament most of the time, a lovely rose adorning her raven black hair… The effect was stunning.

But tonight, she wasn't running off to train. She knew that something was up with Kurama, and she intended to either aid or stop the fox in whatever he was about to do.

* * *

Kurama crouched down low behind the old shack. Faint light and loud voices could be heard from within. No doubt another illegal gambling hide-out. Kurama made a soft, angry sound of disgust. Only dirt like those demons would spend their entire time in such a crummy place. Even if they wanted to do illegal gambling, there was no need to hide out here like some smuggler. It would be much more fun if you were being hunted all the time, it was thrilling… Besides, why would anyone want to spend all their money on a useless past time like this? Kurama shook his head. But there were information that one could not obtain from places other than these so he had to consent for this once. Just this once.

He pushed open the door.

"Evening, gentlemen…"

The few demons looked up at him. Some of them had a suspicious gleam in their eyes. But once they saw the faint glint of gold in the small bad at his waist, they shuffled to one side of the table, allowing Kurama to gain access to the gambling table.

An ugly hag-like demon seemed to be calling the shots. He spat on the ground before grunting at Kurama.

"We don't do penniless bishies like you here…"

Kurama threw a couple of gold coins onto the table. "Would that be enough?"

Everyone gaped at him. A small green demon picked up one coin and studied it in the faint light. He then turned around and whispered excitedly: "It's real!"

The old hag narrowed his eyes. Then he grunted and started shuffling some cards. Kurama smirked as his sharp eyes followed the movement of each card. It was obvious that the guy was cheating, hiding a few cards away as he shuffled them. But Kurama had a few tricks up his sleeves too… Not that he had any sleeves…

* * *

The game had given him much more than extra gold that night. Kurama had a way of obtaining information from unsuspecting people whenever he wanted to. Sometimes, he could even read the minds of weaker demons. He stole quietly away from the shack and into the forest once more. He was just so close to finding out what he wanted and needed to know.

As he walked silently through the forest, he wondered what would Ariya's reaction be if she ever found out what he was doing for her.

'But it's the only way… I have to make sure I get them before they get her… They've already come so far as to attack my gang… What they would do next, I wonder?'

He stopped short in his tracks and his heart skipped a beat. Ariya was standing right in front of him.

"Ariya! What are you doing out here so late in the night?"

Ariya's eyes were blazing. For a minute or so, Kurama thought he saw anger in them, but the next moment it was gone. She took a tentative step forward.

"Sensei, what was that about?"

"What was what?"

"I followed you, Sensei. I know I shouldn't have, but I had to know where you were going and what you were doing. Why? Sensei, why?"

Kurama didn't know what to say. It seemed as though he was now the pupil and she was now the master. She glared at him with a questioning look that seemed to bore right into the core of his very soul.

"I just felt like having some fun, that's all… Don't worry about me…"

"Please don't try to hide anything from me, Sensei. I heard everything that went on during that game. And there were other times too. Why are you trying to find out about…him?"

"I wasn't… It's just that it's good to know the latest happenings in Makai…"

"He's dangerous, Sensei, very dangerous. He killed my mother… my only family. I don't want to lose another to him again! Please, don't go fighting him… please…"

"I'm only trying to protect you!"

Silence fell between them. Kurama, embarrassed at his sudden outburst, looked away from Ariya. She, however, continued to look at him with pleading eyes.

"Fine then. If you're going to challenge him, then at least take me with you. After all, he did kill my mother…"

"No, it's too dangerous. And besides, I thought you said that you didn't want to take revenge any more?"

"Do you expect me to sit here and watch you kill him when it's supposed to be me who does it? If possible, I wouldn't have you involved. You need not gain an extra enemy, Sensei…"

"But you really can't defeat this demon alone, Ariya. It's not that you're weak or what, but… It's just that… I'll be worried…"

"And do you think I won't be?"

Kurama walked towards her till he was no more than a few centimeters close to her. "Since when have you started to defy your mentor, huh?"

"Since I've decided that I'm not going to let anyone get hurt because of me."

The dark eyes locked the hazel-gold ones with furious determination. Kurama felt furious at being defied by his student, but as he glared at her determined gaze, his look softened. He was speechless, in fact, and all he could utter was just one word.

"Why?"

Ariya looked confused. "Why what, Sensei?"

"Why do all this? If you'd just let me kill that demon for you… You can stay safe, forever… The chances of me losing my life would not be as high as the risk you are prepared to take now. Please… please think about it…"

"You don't understand, Sensei… I was supposed to die anyway… If you hadn't taken me in, I probably wouldn't have lived till now. I cannot allow anyone else to die for me… My mother died for me… And if I do lose my life taking revenge for her… Well then, I'll just get to meet her soon…"

"And you're just going to leave me here? Alone?"

Kurama was devastated. He could not believe that she was prepared to risk everything, just to try and protect the last person that she held dear to her. If only she knew how he felt… But would anything change even if she did?

Ariya turned and smiled at him.

"You won't be alone, Sensei. You're getting a little too worked up over this. I said that I wouldn't let you take revenge for me, but that doesn't mean that I was going to go look for that murderer and take revenge right now. All I said was that there was no need for you to go this far."

She approached his side and touched his hand. "Come on, let's go. It's quite late, you know…"

Kurama didn't quite hear the last sentence. Something was bugging him to say something, to try and ask her to stay by his side forever… But the words just wouldn't come out. _'Maybe… maybe we should just leave things as they are…'_ he thought.

A sudden stillness brought him back to his senses. He could feel Ariya's grip tighten on his arm. He didn't need to ask, something was definitely wrong. Everything seemed a little too quiet.

'What happened to the sounds from that gambling shack? They were still a little audible just a few minutes ago…'

A cold wind rushed past them. Kurama could sense another presence with them. Instinctively, he pushed Ariya behind him and turned around to face the newcomer. Cold laughter rang in the distance as a figure emerged from the depths of the shadows like a ghost. Ariya herself felt so cold all of a sudden. Somehow, that person looked so familiar…

The figure was tall and dark, somehow like a vampire. His long hair had a look of a banshee, and bloody fangs sprung from his grinning mouth. Long claws protruded from his hands, one of which was clutching a serrated sword with blood still dripping from it.

"It's been such a long time, little girl…"

Everything came back in a flash. Raging fire, blood everywhere, women and children crying for help, their pleas falling on deaf ears… And her mother… Her screams… So clearly etched in her mind…

Ariya gave a cry. "You! You murderer!"

The demon gave a malicious laugh. "Murderer? That's not very nice to hear… Of course, the fact that I'm here today will probably allow me to live up to that name…"

Kurama smirked. "So it was you who attacked my bandits and silenced those gamblers, am I correct? Well, I'll have you know, I won't take such an offence lying down…"

"Of course you won't. Because I'll _make_ you lie down at my feet. Dead."

"My, my… Getting cocky, are we?"

Even though he was speaking confidently, Kurama had some doubts. _'He seems rather strong. Either he's an idiot, or he really is as strong as he says he is…'_

"You, fox… I'm feeling rather merciful today, so I'll let you escape with your life. Just hand over the girl and we'll call it even, ok?"

"Over my dead body!"

Kurama lunged at the demon with his whip. His swift movement caught the demon by surprise, but Ariya read her mentor's mind even before he attacked. She leapt towards the right to prevent the demon from escaping as both teacher and student brought down a devastating slash that would slice anyone into two immediately.

Both whips seemed to hit their intended target. But before his whip touched the ground, Kurama could sense that something was amiss.

He wasn't wrong.

"What the…?"

Kurama never got to finish his sentence. A sudden blow from behind sent him crashing into some trees. On the other side, Ariya was thrown to the ground too but recovered faster and counter-attacked almost immediately after she had picked herself up.

"Trying to take revenge, I see… Well, you can go tell your mother that you tried your best, I'm sure she'll be very proud…"

This statement earned him a cut across his cheek. Licking the blood that trickled down his face away, he grinned.

"Mmm… Feisty…"

Ariya was shaking with anger. How can someone just kill for fun and without feeling any remorse either? Such people didn't deserve to live…

Kurama whipped out an Ojigi plant and sent it after his opponent. Within seconds, the plant was nothing but shreds on the ground as the demon made quick work of it with his sword.

"Stupid animal… I guess I have to dispose of you first before I kill your student…"

"Not if I can help it… I won't let you hurt her, not ever…"

Kurama aimed a fatal blow at him. "Now, die!"

* * *

Blood dripped down from her wrists as she struggled to get back on her feet. A few feet away, a silver fox lay unconscious on the ground, bleeding heavily from a wound at his side.

As soon as she managed to stand up, a kick delivered to her side caused her to crumple to the ground again.

"You've given me more trouble than all those bloody villagers put together… Oh how I'd love to hear you beg for mercy at my feet just like how many of them did…"

Ariya staggered sideways. She tried to edge towards Kurama, but the demon gave her another blow.

"What are you trying to do now, huh? Crawl back to your mentor? Forget it, he's better off dead…"

"Leave him alone…"

"What's that? Did I hear wrong? You're begging for his life?"

"I'm not begging… Just… Leave him alone!"

The demon smirked. "But I don't like that arrogant look on his face. I want him to die for that…"

Kurama stirred a little. He had overheard the conversation that had been going on since the past few minutes. Opening his eyes a little, he was just in time to see Ariya collapse on the ground again. Then he heard the demon whisper.

"I promise… I'll make his death swift and painless… Seeing as you begged for his life so earnestly… But you shall have to die in pain, my dear…"

Kurama reached for his rose. He had enough energy left for a final blow, but that was it. Better make it worth while. He had to save her no matter what it took.

"Get your hands off her!"

The whip exploded in mid air. The demon stood up and glared at Kurama.

"Now you made me mad… Why can't you just stay dead? Now you shall have to watch me kill her before your eyes… And that's such a pity, isn't it?"

The energy blast directed at him hit Kurama squarely in the chest. As his vision became foggy, his last thoughts were hopes that someone would come and help…

* * *

Ok, I know that I took rather long to finish this chapter, and I apologize for it. But I'm going through some tough times now, and I have some problems to settle, so I'm really sorry for taking so long.

Meanwhile, please R&R, I live off those reviews! Haha! So, bye for now! Au revoir! Wait for the next chapter, my dears!


	9. Chapter 9 Fragmented Memories

_"I warned you, fox…"_

_Kurama struggled against the energy bonds that were fastening him onto the ground. He had to get free; he had to try…_

"_Leave him alone…"_

_Ariya finally managed to stand up. She faced the demon with blazing anger in her eyes. "You're not going to hurt him. I won't let you…"_

_The demon smirked, turned away from Kurama and walked slowly towards her._

"_Ariya, run! Please… Leave! He's going to kill you!" Kurama shouted frantically._

"_You know, he's right, my dear. I am going to end your life tonight. So, try and run… I'll catch you and find you where ever you hide though…"_

_He unsheathed his sword. "Now, I guess I've already done enough of toying with my prey… What a pity… Your poor mentor here will have to watch all those years of effort in raising you vanish in a flash…"_

_As he charged towards her, Kurama strained against his bonds even harder. His eyes found hers, as she smiled at him and secretly took out her hidden dagger._

_Blood splattered the ground followed by a scream of rage. Kurama gave a cry of despair as he could only watch helplessly._

"_Ariya!"_

**Chapter 9 – Fragmented Memories**

Here we go again… Yu Yu Hakusho doesn't belong to me and never will. But people like Kurama deserve to be free anyway, so…

* * *

The school bell went off, signaling the end of recess. Soft rays of sunlight fell upon flowing locks of crimson hair amidst the hustle and bustle of students hurrying back to class.

A handsome young boy was fast asleep on his desk, being the only one to remain in the classroom during recess. The sunlight shining on his red hair only just made him look a lot more attractive, and his calm, sleeping form would have made his entire fan club faint on the spot.

Only, Minamino Shuichi didn't usually fall asleep in school, and what a shock it would be for the rest of his classmates to find him sleeping now.

"Minamino-kun? Sleeping?"

A fellow student pored over him. Behind him, a gaggle of fan girls swooned over the cute object of their affection.

"Aww… Doesn't he look cute when he's sleeping?"

"He must be tired… He never sleeps in school, not even during recess…"

"Poor Minamino-kun… He works so hard… Ahh…"

A couple more girls fainted as he opened his emerald green eyes and slowly took in the scene before him. A crowd of students around his table and a couple of fainted girls on the floor were enough to tell him what happened.

Kurama put on an embarrassed look and muttered: "Sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"It doesn't matter, Minamino! And here we thought that you'd never fall asleep in class! Looks like you're one of us after all, eh?"

"Don't push yourself too hard, Minamino-kun… You'll make us worried…"

"Yeah, Minamino-kun… It's not your fault for falling asleep! There's nothing wrong!"

"Everyone! Back to their seats! What's all that commotion over there?"

Some scrambled back to their seats as their teacher walked in while others stood defiantly, ready to defend their hero. Kurama groaned. This is going to take a while… And all because he slept for 10 minutes…

* * *

As the evening light poured into the school compound, the last of the students left Meiou High and headed home. As usual, Kurama shook off a couple more fan girls to walk leisurely back to his house.

_'What a day… I can't believe the teacher fell for the I-was-up-late-studying ruse… Humans...'_

Apparently, as he was a favourite of teachers and students alike, the teacher, instead of telling him off, actually offered to let him continue sleeping to ensure that Meiou High's top student was in top shape, an offer, which of course, was refused by an extremely embarrassed Kurama. The things these humans do for the things they adored… Sometimes it made him want to laugh when he saw how people would get themselves all worked up and flushed just to try and please him. Not that he was always displeased, it was just that it was kinda irritating sometimes… He didn't have that kind of attention as Youko…

Kurama sighed. Thinking of Youko brought him back to the subject of why he fell asleep in the first place. He had been having a really disturbing dream, and it wasn't the first time he had had it. Recently, Kurama was having many haunting dreams that left him with an empty feeling inside of him… But the weird thing was, he couldn't make a head or tail out of it. And then there was another matter.

Although he had already regained his Youko consciousness, he could barely remember much of his past life. Every time he tried to recall his past, most of it came back to him in blurred images. It was as if someone had badly damaged a favourite video that he had watched many times so that he was already familiar with it but now that he wanted to watch it again, he just couldn't.

This was probably a small after effect of merging into the human body of Minamino Shuichi. The process of tearing your soul from its previous shell and merging it with another, yet-to-develop existence was very hard. If it weren't for his high amount of Spirit Energy previously he would never have survived pulling off such a stunt.

"Oi, Kurama!"

Kurama looked up towards the source of the voice. It came from a tree and Kurama could see a small figure standing on a limb.

"Good evening, Hiei."

The fire demon leapt down. "The amazing Toguro brothers have managed to survive and pull off yet another circus stunt. And I just saw that idiot of a Spirit Detective wander away to have a cozy little chat with the big one…"

"I'm not surprised. Honestly speaking, when Koenma told me that they had killed the Toguro brothers, I've had my doubts. But Hiei, how could you let him go alone? At least follow him to make sure Yusuke's safe, wouldn't you?"

"Oh, so that's the thanks I get for passing on information, huh? Well, I'm not his mother, why should I bother about him?"

"Point taken. Now let's go and check things out. Something tells me that Toguro is here for more than just a chat over tea and crumpets."

Hiei scoffed and walked away. "Fine. But if that bastard needs saving again I swear I'm going to make sure his head's ripped clean off his shoulders…"

* * *

"The Dark Tournament?? What kind of dumb tournament is that?"

They were gathered at Yusuke's apartment to discuss their options regarding the invitation to the Dark  
Tournament. And as usual, Kuwabara failed to comprehend a thing.

"It's a tournament organized by rich human crime lords just for the sake of amusement. Apparently, there's something enjoyable about watching and betting over who will spill more blood and internal organs… The things rich fools do for amusement…"

"So why are we in this again?"

Yusuke sighed. "Kurama, please do me a favor and explain it simply to this idiot here so that he understands…"

"Basically, Kuwabara, since we've been invited, we can't refuse lest we pay the price of death. But considering the mortality rate, I don't think we have much of a choice anyway…"

"Huh?"

Yusuke snapped and punched Kuwabara in the face. "Basically, you idiot, we have to go or we'll die! And besides, I really want to defeat this Toguro guy!"

Hiei sneered. "What use will Kuwabara be to us? All he will be able to be is our human shield… He can't possibly do anything else…"

As Kuwabara launched into a loud yet idiotic lecture on Hiei, Kurama could only smile. What a bunch of amusing people he was mixing with these days… A feeling of uneasiness settled in. For some reason, he dreaded going to this tournament. And yet, he felt that if he didn't go, he would miss a chance to get answers to a lot of questions on his mind right now.

* * *

Kurama walked slowly back to his house, still bothered about the nightmares he'd been having these few weeks. They were always the same: a cold, chilly night, the wind sending shivers down his spine… He would be Youko, always Youko… And there was this girl… Who seemed so strangely familiar… Blood… Lots of blood… Splattered all over the dark floor of the forest…

Kurama shook his head roughly. _'Was that a long forgotten memory? Or was it a premonition of the future? Or maybe guilt for a past crime… What is the meaning of it?'_

He pushed open the small gate and unlocked the front door.

"Evening, Mother…"

"Oh, hello, Shuichi, you're back! Dinner's ready for you, but I'm afraid I can't join you for dinner tonight. Mr. Hatanaka will be picking me up for dinner later."

"It's ok, mother… I can manage."

Kurama smiled as his mother went back into the kitchen. He could sense where this relationship was going. But it was for the best. His mother needed someone other than her so-called "son" to stay by her side.

After his mother had left, and he had finished clearing up after himself, Kurama went upstairs to finish some algebra homework. As he pored over the countless numbers and equations, the stillness somehow got to him.

_'It's quiet… Too quiet…'_

A sudden rustling sound startled him. He spun around, searching for the source of the sound, but now it seemed to be coming from everywhere above him. Kurama looked up, and was shocked to find that the ceiling had somehow disappeared. In its place were towering trees, from which the sound of leaves rustling could be heard.

Someone was sneaking up on him from behind, he could tell. Without wasting a moment, he cracked his whip at the offender, who leapt aside quite agile.

"Aww… I couldn't surprise you again, Sensei…"

A young girl with flowing black hair came out from behind the trees. Kurama's heart gave a leap as she came into full view. He tried to say something, but yet words wouldn't come out.

The girl started to walk away. "I'm leaving, Sensei! Remember to come back early, or I'll have to come looking for you in the middle of the night…"

_'No… Don't go! Don't! I… I need to talk to you!'_

Kurama tried running after her, but his legs seemed rooted to the spot. As she walked further and further away, he tried to call out to her, but she never seemed to be able to listen. He could sense something was wrong… He shouldn't let her leave… Something was going to happen to her… Something terrible…

_'Come back! Please… Don't leave!'_

The girl stopped abruptly. Kurama felt relieved. Had she finally heard his voice? Yet as she stood there, Kurama knew that something was seriously wrong.

It had become dark, like midnight. A chilling wind was blowing past his shoulder, and fear gripped his heart tightly. An evil presence was here… And the girl was definitely in trouble…

He made to move, but he still couldn't. All he could see was the poor girl trembling as the darkness swallowed her.

"Sensei! Please leave! Go… He's going to kill you too!"

Malicious laughter reached his ears just as her voice barely faded away. Kurama stretched his hand out towards the darkness, to try and reach her, and pull her out just in time…

A scream pierced the night, as blood showered on Kurama. He looked at his hands shakily, as the crimson blood on them seemed to have been shed by him…

"No… No, please… Please… Why did you have to leave me? Why?"

* * *

He collapsed on the ground, still shaking, his eyes full of tears. He was still in his room, but apparently, he had fallen asleep while doing his homework. The unknown girl had come back to haunt him… He had failed to save her again…

"Why do you always try to solve problems all by yourself, you idiot…"

Kurama looked up and saw Hiei perched on his windowsill. He blinked a few tears out of his eyes and tried to smile at Hiei. But the fire demon didn't buy it, instead he continued glaring at Kurama until the red head lowered his gaze towards the floor.

"I'm fine, Hiei… I'm fine… You too have ghosts of your pasts haunting you occasionally, don't you?"

"If it's causing me to break down and cry like that, I'd say it was a really violent ghost of the past…"

"Why did you come to see me, Hiei?"

Hiei ignored him. "Don't change the subject. You'd better tell me about those hallucinations of yours, and why you're always weeping in fear… To think that the great Youko Kurama has resorted to a poor, lowly weakling…"

"I'm not weak, Hiei. I just… I want to know why she is appearing in my dreams so much…"

Hiei looked up sharply. "She? Who's she?"

"A girl. Just a girl. A really beautiful one too…"

"Ariya?"

Kurama started. The name seemed to bring back memories, and it stirred up something that had been dormant in his mind since a long time ago.

"How… How did you…"

"Well, if you keep screaming her name when you're in one of your trances, hard to miss…"

"I keep saying her name?"

"No, you keep screaming it. But for our discussion purposes, yes, you've been mentioning her name constantly."

Kurama pondered all this. If he had been saying her name out loud, he must have known this person, or rather, this person is calling for help.

Kurama smiled. "Are you joining Yusuke for the Dark Tournament?"

Hiei snorted. "If you are, I am."

"Aww, Hiei, that's sweet of you…"

"Go to hell… I'm not going because of you, I just don't think I can stand those two idiots without you around to calm things down… If you're not going, they better watch out… I might let my sword slip anytime…"

"Go on… You're still going because of me…"

"No, I'm NOT!"

* * *

"A boat? Why couldn't they have given us plane tickets, huh?"

"Well, I guess they figured adorable little things like Hiei wouldn't be able to survive the flight over, would they?"

Hiei glared at Kurama. "Don't EVER call me adorable… And who says I can't survive a plane trip?"

"Well, the fact that you don't like boats is proof enough already…"

"What? Hiei gets seasick? Cool! I think I'll go dunk his head into seawater right now!"

Hiei unsheathed his sword. "Baka… You come here… I'll give you dunking…"

As Kuwabara squealed in pain and Hiei cursed at the top of his voice, the mysterious little masked fighter gave Kurama a curious glance.

Kurama understood what the glance meant. He himself had also noticed the murderous stares of the other passengers on board the vessel. So when they were attacked by every single one of them, he wasn't really surprised. And it goes without saying that Team Urameshi made quick work of the dumb demons…

As they landed on Hanging Neck Island, Kuwabara and Hiei were still at it. And Yusuke? Still fast asleep, of course…

Kurama took a quick look around him. He definitely had not been here before, but why was it that he felt so connected to this place?

It came to him in a sudden jolt. He didn't know how he knew, but he just realized, or maybe hoped so desperately, that he was going to get the answers to all of his questions here.

"Kurama! Get this midget of me please!"

"Midget?? Oh, you are SO dead…"

"Aaarrrggghhh!"

Kurama smiled and went over to stop the brawl. They had quite enough for one day… Save some for tomorrow…

* * *

_"Ariya!"_

_He broke free of the bonds with the last of his energy. As he sprang forward, blood splattered all over him, and he stopped, stunned at the scene before him._

_The effort was too much for him to bear. He collapsed on the ground, but still tried to force himself to stand._

_The demon staggered backwards, clutching his right shoulder. All that remained of his right arm was a bloody stump. He let out a cry of rage, muttering a string of words as he tried to heal the bleeding wound._

_But Kurama wasn't interested in him. His eyes caught the limp form of the wounded young girl he had grown to love. She had swayed for a few moments, covered in blood, before hitting the ground like a lifeless dummy._

"_No… No… Please…"_

_He tried to reach out to her, but he was weak… So weak he could barely move… How could he call himself one of the greatest bandits? He was so pathetic…_

"_Please… Please don't be dead… Don't leave me…"_

_But he had seen the demon's sword run right through her, and at the very last moment, she had used the opportunity to slash his right arm off. And then, as the demon gave a cry of rage, she fell lifeless… into a pool of blood…_

"_You bitch… This is unbelievable… How could I have fallen for that… No matter… I'll make sure your soul never finds rest…"_

_The demon stumbled over to Ariya's body._

"_Think you had the last laugh eh?" he whispered. "Well… I'll teach you what happens to people who try and outsmart me..."_

_With that, he used his remaining arm and tore open a gaping black hole, from which an eerie, cold force was issuing. Kurama's eyes widened in shock._

"_A dimensional portal! But you have to have an extremely high level of energy to do that… This guy is really powerful…"_

_He struggled to his feet, forcing himself to summon one last Blood Sucking Flower… But even as he did, the demon picked Ariya's body up roughly by the collar and flung her into the black, icy space._

"_No!"_

_He lunged and reached out to try and grab her before the portal closed, as his plant charged towards the laughing demon._

"_Farewell, my dear! You're never going to find solace… No one, not even souls, can find their way out of that endless dimension! You'll never see your mother or your Sensei forever…"_

_He knew he wasn't going to make it. The hole shrunk and disappeared into thin air just as he sprang towards it, and he fell to the ground, shaking with grief and fury._

_A cry of pain told him that his plant did the job, but the effort and the emotional blow was too much for the poor fox to take…_

"_Let this be a nightmare… Please… Let me sleep… Let me rest…"_

* * *

He woke up with a start. Cold sweat formed on his forehead and he was trembling from head to toe. He had just woken up from a nightmare, but he couldn't remember the details. All he knew was he had just lost someone dear to him, and it was all his fault…

As the moonlight beamed down through the window, he cried silently.

* * *

Forgive me if this chapter is a little blur. I expect you guys are wondering why is Kurama suddenly Minamino instead of Youko… Well… You're about to find out… In the next chapter… I guess… XD… And for those who are unfamiliar with the Toguro brothers and what they have to do with the Dark Tournament, Toguro the Younger was the one who invited Yusuke to join the tournament, after having amazingly survived Yusuke and Kuwabara's combo attack before.

In the meantime, please review, tell me what you think, but please, if you want to flame me, come talk to me personally. My poor friend received some rather nasty remarks and I'd please everyone NOT to upset fellow fanfic writers like that, OK? Thanks… Merci…


	10. Chapter 10 The Crow and the Fox

"Make sure you win, Kurama! I'll finish off that shampoo boy…"

"Hnn… Like you will…"

"Oh, shut up, shortie!"

Kurama ignored them and walked into the arena slowly. This Uraurashima guy seemed weak, but then again, he should never underestimate his opponents. That was what he had learned from past events, the latest being his fight with Roto.

"Ready, begin!" Juri gave the signal to start the fight.

Uraurashima began twirling his fishing rod in a circle above his head. Kurama whipped out his Rose Whip and swung it in a similar fashion. Both seemed to be waiting for the other to start attacking first.

And then, without warning, both launched a ferocious attack from each of their sides.

Little did Kurama know, that this fight was going to end with a twist, and that he was getting closer to the Youko he had long since abandoned…

**Chapter 10 – The Crow and the Fox**

After a week of exhausting work… Still busy, but found time to write… XP… Lawyers, refer to previous chapters for disclaimers please… I'm too tired to rewrite…

* * *

"What the…"

Kurama only just noticed the fine threads trapping him inside the arena. He cursed himself for being so foolish… So gullible… And susceptible to some sob story…

Uraurashima smirked and took out a box. "You know what this it? It's the Reverse Age Box… And it will send you back to the time when you were still a helpless little child… Time to say goodbye!"

He opened the box. A heavy fog poured from within and engulfed the arena within the barriers. Kurama was taken aback by the sudden smoke. Besides, this was no ordinary smoke. Kurama swayed, trying to stay awake… He was getting rather drowsy…

Uraurashima's smirk grew wider as he sensed Kurama's energy grow weaker and weaker.

'_Hah! It won't be long now till he reaches his baby form. And then he won't be a threat anymore… Huh?'_

Instead of staying at the weakest point, Kurama's energy totally disappeared. Uraurashima checked frantically. Yup, definitely no trace of Minamino Shuichi's energy.

'_What's going on? Why did his energy…?'_

And then, as if answering his question, a sudden burst of powerful energy swept past his body like a cold wind. Shivering with cold and fear, Uraurashima could sense a presence behind him, and he felt a tremor run down his spine. He was right to be afraid alright.

The tall shadow looming over him spoke in a calm, cold voice: "Well, well… It's been a while… I never thought that I'd see this body ever again."

Uraurashima turned slowly to face his opponent, and nearly screamed when he saw who it was.

"You're… You're… You're Kurama the fox! Youko Kurama! The… The most infamous… Infamous bandit in all of Makai!"

"I'm honoured that you should remember my name. But now, you must pay for your sins."

The coward whimpered and begged for his life. "Oh please… Please!"

Youko Kurama gracefully took a seed out of his hair and produced an Apparition Eating Plant. Wielding it like an enormous shield, he posed it delicately over Uraurashima.

"This plant has a taste for demon blood and is extremely aggressive. It spits acidic saliva that will reduce your flesh and bones into a thick soup… So, tell me what I want to know, and I'll spare you…"

"What… What do you want to know? I… I'll tell you anything!"

"Where did you get that box?"

Uraurashima was puzzled. But no wasn't the time to be asking questions. "I… I was given them… By our leader… I… I have no idea…That is… I…"

But before he could finish his sentence, a sword cracked the barrier and ran right through him. The demon writhed in agony for a while, and then fell dead onto the floor, changing back to the shape-shifting demon it actually was.

The silver fox looked from the dead body to the sword's owner. Shishiwakamaru, the handsome, purple-haired samurai from the opposing team threw a triumphant smile at him.

It didn't take long for the smoke to clear slowly, and as it did, Kurama slowly reverted back to his human form.

He stepped out of the arena and walked back to his team. Hiei noticed his eyes were somewhat downcast, and he refused to look at anyone but Shishiwakamaru. And Hiei knew that it was because Kurama was desperate to find out what was it that could change him back into Youko.

What Hiei didn't know, was what Kurama saw and remembered, when he changed back into Youko just then.

* * *

"You know, Kuwabara should have followed that Suzuki clown and become his student. They could open a circus…" muttered Hiei.

"What do you mean? None of them were really a match for me, so I just decided to let you guys take them on!"

"Or is that just some excuse because you humiliatingly fell into their trap twice?"

"I did it on purpose, I tell ya!"

"Point is, human, you weren't much help to us today. I took down two in a row, and was still ready for more…"

"Why can't you ever say anything nice, Hiei?"

"Simple. Because there's nothing nice about you."

"Take that back!"

A series of scuffling and punching ensued, as the girls pushed open the door to check out the noise.

Kuwabara stopped immediately at the sight of Yukina. "Yukina! How are you? Did you see me today? I was spectacular, wasn't I?"

Hiei shot daggers at Kuwabara with his blazing eyes. Kuwabara, being Kuwabara, did not notice a thing. Kurama had to put a hand on Hiei's shoulder to remind him that if Kuwabara were to die, Yukina might not speak to him again. Hiei swallowed down all thoughts off torturing and killing the idiot.

Kurama, on the other hand, couldn't wait till he got some quiet time on his own. He needed to sort out his memories. Reverting back to Youko had unlocked many hidden memories, and Kurama finally knew who this Ariya was.

He remembered flashes, of a little girl struggling to learn how to control her Spirit Energy; of a young teenager jumping swiftly from tree to tree as a bat demon named Kuronue tried to catch her; and he also remembered how much those two had meant to him. But the emotions he felt were rather blur still, and he couldn't fully know if they were his family or his friends. But he knew that Ariya was his student, and he also knew she was dead.

For the dream finally made sense to him. And he also remembered that fateful night. The night when he had made the decision to live as a cold and ruthless bandit. He told himself, that emotions were worthless, and relationships were futile. He had to get by on his own. Kurama smiled to himself now. He had broken his own policy. Yusuke had seen to that.

Funny though, he had a feeling that this Ariya girl would be happy if she had known that her Sensei had finally learned how to treasure the people around him again.

* * *

Kurama went down to the arena. Genkai had advised him and Hiei to observe their opponents before the fight. Hiei chose training over strategy and thus, Kurama was left to watch the other semi-final fight on his own.

It was just as well that Hiei chose not to watch. They were good. Very good. Kurama wasn't even sure if he could beat the other two, let alone the Toguro brothers.

As he walked out of the arena, ignoring shouts of mockery and death threats, he encountered the armour-clad Bui and the tall, vampirish Karasu.

Kurama felt a tingle run down his spine. The way Karasu was looking at him wasn't normal, he could tell. There was something seriously weird about the raven-haired demon. And when Karasu proceeded to scare the heck out of Kurama, Kurama's worst fears were confirmed. He really wasn't sure whether he could defeat even Karasu.

He left the stadium in a hurry, racking his head for a plan or something to win his upcoming fight. Kurama knew he was going to have to face the creepy bomb demon. But how was he supposed to win? Karasu definitely has more energy than he does, and unless Kurama could transform back into Youko, there was absolutely no chance of him defeating the crow.

Suddenly, a jolt of energy shook him. This was different though. It wasn't asurge of energy, it was the disappearance of one. With a pang of sorrow, Kurama remembered what Karasu had mentioned to him earlier.

'_The four of you will have until the day after tommorow to live. One of you will be dying today._'

Kurama bowed his head sadly. He knew it. One of their members had just left for the next life.

His fists clenched and his eyes closed, he made a silent promise.

'_Genkai, we'll win the Tournament for you. I promise, no matter how hard, we'll do our best. We'll show Toguro…'_

* * *

This was it. The big day. The day of the Dark Tournament finals. Yusuke was silent and there was a cool, determined look in his eyes. Hiei didn't really say anything either. The fire demon was just strutting coolly along with them. Kurama was nervous, but he hid it under a calm composure. Only Kuwabara was making weird noises and loud exclamations.

"Weird, it's about time too, but Genkai ain't here yet! I wonder where could she be."

At that, Hiei snorted, Kurama fidgeted and Yusuke just looked away.

"The old lady must've forgot the time! I hope Yukina and the others won't be late though. I need Yukina to cheer for me."

Hiei gripped his sword hilt tightly, Kurama gave him a warning look, and Yusuke still stood with his back against the wall, silent.

The door to the stadium opened slowly, an air of uneasiness swooping over Team Urameshi as they entered the arena amidst cries of bloodshed and demands for their blood. Hiei glared at the spectators for a couple of seconds and then fixed his eyes on their opponent. Kuwabara, however, was shaking.

Kurama could barely listen as Koenma stated that he would be their fifth fighter. He only remembered sweatdropping as Koenma revealed the jet pack strapped to his back. Typical Koenma. He felt almost relieved at that point though, they all did, as if they were back to their old selves, and that they weren't in this darn tournament anymore, facing the possibility of dying.

Then Karasu gave him that chilly look and mocked a gun to his forehead, whispering, "Bang!"

Kurama winced. _'I guess I have no choice. Karasu may be twisted and powerful, but I have to try my best to defeat him!'_

"Round 1 of the Dark Tournament finals! Fighters, please take your positions!" Juri exclaimed.

Karasu stepped up smoothly, eyes locked on Kurama. Kuwabara was about to step up when Kurama stopped him.

"This one's mine."

Saying that, he leapt onto the arena. Juri declared the match started, and Kurama enveloped himself in a barrier of rose petals. Karasu strode calmly into the petal cloud.

'_As soon as he gets near, my rose petals will slice him up to bits!' _thought Kurama. Or so he _thought…_

A petal gently grazed Karasu's pale cheek. "Ahh… Your rose petals are pretty darn sharp, aren't they? But they won't stop me from getting to you…"

Suddenly, the petals were exploding in mid air without Karasu having to touch them. Kurama was shocked. His theory about Karasu's powers were wrong then. But, how did this guy blow things up without touching them? Kurama was baffled. He quickly switched to another strategy and brandished the Rose Whip.

As he lashed out with the whip, Karasu blew it up from a distance as well. The bomb demon now launched himself at Kurama, swiping at him with sharp claws.

"Your attacks are elegant, yet weak… It's such a pity I have to kill you… "

Kurama just managed to swerve out of the way again. _'He's moving too fast. I can't reach my weapons!'_

"But no matter…" whispered Karasu. "You see, I love killing, and I'm very good at it…" he finished, emphasizing on the last four words.

"And when I kill something I like, it makes me feel so good I can hardly stand it!"

Before he realised Karasu had made his move, a stabbing pain erupted from his arm. Kurama collapsed, gripping his injured shoulder tightly. He looked up at Karasu, who was standing a way off calmly gazing at him.

"You think I inject my Spirit Energy into my opponent's body and then blow it up from the inside out, don't you? Well, you're wrong. You see, like you, I too control a Spirit Object. Right now, it's sitting here in my right hand. You can't see it, but now I'll take this object and lower it's energy level so that even you can see it…"

Kurama kept his eyes fixed on Karasu's said hand. As the object materialised, he gasped.

"You see? It's a bomb!" Karasu raised it up into the air and flung it at Kurama.

"Kurama!" Yusuke yelled, as the bomb hit Kurama squarely and exploded.

As the smoke cleared, Kurama was no where to be seen. "Has Kurama been blown away by that enormous explosion?" Juri asked.

Even as she did, a strange energy enveloped them. A sinister, calm and cold force, powerful, yet much suppressed, now released in full force. Looks like Kurama's potion worked after all.

The silver kitsune stepped out of the smoke, smirking coldly. "My, my, that was quite a big explosion. If I had been in Minamino Shuichi's body, I'd have been dead."

Karasu scoffed. "You soon will be anyway." And he created some flying bombs, sending them straight at Kurama.

"Ahh… I see them now, I can see you making those weapons of yours." He took two roses out and destroyed the bombs with them. Karasu only made more and very soon, Kurama was surrounded by a cloud of winged bombs.

Leaping and dodging gracefully in the air, Kurama engaged Karasu in conversation.

"Tell me, have you ever heard of the Ojiggi weed? It smothers anything flammable with its leaves to protect itself."

"I have no interest in plants!" snapped Karasu.

Kurama ignored him. "The Ojiggi weed from Makai is much more ferocious than its Earth cousin. It goes after anything that moves or is flammable."

Muttering a string of spell words, Kurama summoned an enormous, intimidating plant with large fang covered heads. The leaves framing each mouth closed around the bombs and smothered them.

"Woman, if you want to survive, don't move." He warned Juri.

"Great! Now that Kurama's the fox, he's sure to win! With that scary plant, the freak Karasu won't stand a chance!" Kuwabara was ready to celebrate their first victory.

"Don't be so sure yet. That Karasu has got to be more powerful than he seems." Hiei muttered.

Back in the arena, Kurama was watching as Karasu tried to evade the Ojiggi Plant. "Aww, that's a shame… It doesn't seem to like you…"

'_Don't play too much, Sensei…'_

Kurama started. The voice was coming from his head, and it sounded so familiar. _'Could this be a trick from Karasu, to try and weaken me? I won't fall for it…'_

Karasu threw a bomb at the Ojiggi weed, to try and immobilize it. But they just kept coming. Kurama could see the fear in his eyes already.

"Now your weak attacks have made it mad… Bang!" mocked Kurama.

The Ojiggi plants grabbed Karasu, and soon, the struggling demon was trapped in a ball of leaves.

Kurama scoffed. "I'd expected better from you…" He turned to walk away as Juri started to announce his victory.

'_Sensei! It's not over! Sensei!"_

'_Darn… It's that voice again… Could it be that Karasu's spell is still in effect?'_

It would have done him better to listen to the voice. Because Karasu was still alive, and much more dangerous than before.

* * *

Kurama struggled to stand up, blood dripping down from his wounds. He was so weak; he couldn't even summon any of his plants. He couldn't even fight hand to hand with Karasu. How was he supposed to win this fight?

After his supposed victory, Karasu had surprised everyone by emerging unscathed and without his mask. That just proved him to be more dangerous. Karasu took in flammable gas through his mouth, changing his hair to blond. Using his hands as the trigger, he caused a massive explosion that blew up a third of the stadium.

Buried under the rubble, Kurama survived, but when he emerged, it was as Minamino Shuichi. The voice was right, he shouldn't have underestimated Karasu. But the potion only worked for such a short time, so what was going on?

Within minutes, Karasu had wounded Kurama so severely, and now Kurama could barely move. The pain was excruciating, but Kurama wanted so badly to defeat this guy. He had to. He really had to.

But how? He had no energy left, he was severely wounded, if he were to use his remaining life energy, he would die.

That was the answer. He would kill Karasu with a Blood Sucking flower, targetting the wound on Karasu's chest he had made earlier, in exchange for his life.

But did he dare? What if it didn't work? Would Yusuke and the others blame him? He hesitated for a moment as he tried to get up.

'_Don't worry, Sensei… You'll pull through… I'm right here, remember?'_

'_That voice again…'_ thought Kurama. _'Whoever you are, I thank you, I should have listened earlier…'_

'_Don't thank me, Sensei… I'm just part of you, a long forgotten memory, that's all. Just do your best…'_

'_I will. I won't fail my friends this time… I won't…'_

* * *

With that, Kurama used the last of his energy to send a Blood Sucking Flower straight at Karasu. As the flower drained Karasu's blood, Kurama fell unconscious to the floor.

"Kurama!" screamed Yusuke. Even Hiei was a tad bit anxious.

'_You did well, Sensei… Although maybe you over did it…'_

'_I know you… Ariya… I thought you were…'_

'_Dead? I am, but part of me still lives within you, don't I? Although, I think it may be time for you to move on. You have friends that care for you, and a mother that loves you… You should be thankful…'_

'_I miss you, where are you? And Kuronue, is he there too?'_

'_I don't know… This is not me you're talking to, this is just a memory of me, so technically, I can't tell you how life after death is like… You have to find my soul… Hehe…'_

Kurama thought he saw a young girl smiling at him, but the light got brighter and brighter, and soon, she faded away. He opened his eyes to find that…

"I'm alive…" How, he didn't know. But afterwards he realised it was the after effect of the potion. He smiled and gazed upwards. He had defeated Karasu, although, he knew he didn't win this fight. Still, he felt relieved of his burden.

'_I hope you're alright over there… Ariya…'_

* * *

Well, that's the end of the Dark tournament, and the end of this long awaited chapter! I am so sorry about the wait, one of my readers kindly informed me that I have not updated since April. Sob… I'm really sorry, I was very busy, with some issues, and relationship problems too, but now, I'm glad to announce that I have everything sorted out! I have been promoted, my position stable, and my relationship sorted out! Oh yeah, I have a new computer too, but the Internet connection is not stable yet, which makes uploading chapters hard… Once it's stable, I'll be uploading like crazy! I promise…

Oh, and I'd be gone for a month or so, assignments galore… And I'm thinking of starting a new fanfic for Pokemon…

Once again, soory for the wait, scold all you want… Please… I need some scoldings…

Bwai!


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